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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


IN  MEMORY  OF 

PROFESSOR 
EUGENE  I.  McCORMAC 


L.         ,ji 


•  K£ 


PICTORIAL 


LIFE 


OF 


ANDREW  JACKSON. 


EMBELLISHED    WITH     NUMEROUS    ENGRAVINGS,    FROM    DESIGNS    BY 

WILLIAM  CROOME. 


BY  JOHN  FROST,  LL.D. 


Universal  History,  the  history  of  what  man  has  accomplished  in  this  world,  U  at  bottom 
the  hisiory  of  the  great  men  who  have  worked  here."— CARLYLK. 


HARTFORD: 
WM.    JAS.    HAMERSLEY. 


Entered  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1816,  by 
JOHN     FROST, 

In  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  in  and 
for  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


STEREOTYPED  BY  E.  B.  MKARS,  PHILADELPHIA. 
PRINTED  BY  CASE.  TIFFANY  AND  CO.,  HARTFORD. 


PREFACE. 

A  LIFE  of  GENERAL  JACKSON,  written  so  soon  after 
his  decease  as  the  present,  may  be  thought  premature. 
Perhaps  in  some  respects  it  is  so.  There  are  many 
points  in  which  posterity  alone  will  be  able  to  appre 
ciate  his  merits,  and  do  justice  to  his  claims.  But 
with  respect  to  the  great  elements  of  his  character, 
and  the  leading  actions  of  his  life,  all  parties  seem 
now  to  be  agreed.  The  number  of  those  who  will 
deny  his  ability  as  a  soldier,  or  his  purity,  disinterest 
edness,  and  instinctive  foresight  as  a  statesman,  is 
comparatively  small.  Many  of  those  able  and  dis 
tinguished  men  who  deemed  it  their  duty  to  oppose 
his  leading  political  measures,  always  regarded  him, 
while  living,  with  respect,  and  still  cherish  his  memory 
with  reverence.  It  may  therefore  be  confidently 
hoped  that  an  attempt  to  give  an  impartial  biography 
of  him  may  be  received  with  candour  by  the  great 
mass  of  his  countrymen. 

In  the  present  attempt,  the  writer  has  dwelt  chiefly 
on  that  part  of  General  Jackson's  life  respecting 

221 


IV  PREFACE. 

which  there  is  no  controversy,  viz :  his  brilliant  mill- 
tary  career.  In  the  narrative  of  his  political  life,  little 
more  has  been  attempted  than  a  succinct  statement 
of  facts.  Later  biographers  will  be  enabled  to  do 
him  ampler  justice,  by  tracing  the  beneficial  effects 
of  his  political  measures  into  remoter  times. 

For  the  events  of  the  Creek  war,  and  the  defence 
of  New  Orleans,  the  writer  is  chiefly  indebted  to  the 
copious  and  able  biography  of  General  Jackson 
written  by  his  friend  Major  Eaton,  whose  access  to 
the  best  means  of  information  is  undoubted.  The 
other  authorities  are  cited  in  the  work.  The  pictorial 
embellishments  of  the  book  are  chiefly  from  the  pro 
lific  pencil  of  Mr.  Croome,  whose  merits  are  well 
known  to  the  public. 

The  author  has  found  his  esteem  and  reverence 
for  the  character  of  General  Jackson  to  be  constantly 
increasing,  with  the  extent  of  the  researches  which 
th:s  work  has  required  him  to  make ;  and  he  believes, 
that  popular  as  the  subject  of  this  memoir  always  has 
been,  his  favour  with  the  American  people  is  destined 
still  to  increase,  so  long  as  the  Republic  shall  con 
tinue  to  exist. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 
EARLY  LIFE. 

PARENTAGE  and  Birth  of  Jackson,  16  ;  Death  of  his  Father,  17 ;  Revo 
lution  18. 

CHAPTER    II. 
SERVICES  IN  THE  REVOLUTION. 

Partisan  Warfare,  21 ;  Marion,  22  :  Sumpter,  23  ;  Death  of  Hugh  Jack 
son,  24  ;  Fall  of  Charleston,  25  ;  Waxhaw  Massacre,  29  ;  Affair  at 
Armsaour's  Mill,  31 ;  Affair  at  Hanging  Rock,  35  ;  Rocky  Mount,  43  ; 
Jackson's  first  battle,  44  ;  Battle  of  King's  Mountain,  49  ;  Mrs.  Jack 
son  removes  to  North  Carolina,  49  ;  Battle  of  Cowpens,  53  ;  Battle 
of  Guilford,  59  ;  Heroic  conduct  of  Jackson, (J3&;  Death  of  Jackson's 
Mother,"67 ;  Battle  of  Eutaw,  71 ;  Close  of  the  Southern  War,  72. 

CHAPTER    III. 
PROFESSIONAL  LIFE. 

Jackson  studies  Law,  74 ;  Settles  at  Nashville,  75  :  Marriage  with  Mrs. 
Robards,  80. 

CHAPTER   IV. 
INDIAN  WAR— LEGISLATIVE  AND  JUDICIAL  LIFE. 

Jackson  in  Congress,  82 ;  in  the  Senate,  82 ;  Acquaintance  with  Mr. 
Livingston,  83  ;  Elected  Commander-in-chief,  85  ;  Jackson  appointed 
a  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  Tennessee,  86  ;  His  firmness  as  a 
Judge,  89  ;  Resigns,  90  ;  Aaron  Burr's  Conspiracy,  91 ;  Indian  Wars, 
95 ;  Tennessee  becomes  a  State,  97 ;  Jackson  assists  in  forming  the 
Constitution  of  Tennessee,  97. 

CHAPTER   V. 
COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  CREEK  WAR. 

Jackson  offers  his  services  to  the  Government,  100 ;  Takes  an  Army  to 
Natchez,  101  ;  Ordered  to  disband  his  Troops,  103 ;  Refuses  to  obey, 
104;  His  Conduct  Approved,  107;  Intrigues  of  Tecumseh,  108;  Mas 
sacre  at  Fort  Mimms,  113  ;  Raising  of  Volunteers,  115  ;  Scarcity  of 
Provisions,  126. 

1* 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   VI. 
TALLUSHATCHEE. 
Battle  of  Tallushatchee,  135 ;  Adoption  of  Lincoyer,  137. 

CHAPTER   VII. 
TALLADEGA. 

Forced  March,  141 ;  Battle  of  Talladega,  145  ;  Relief  of  Fort  Strother, 
147;  Dinner  of  Acorns,  149;  Soldiers  Mutiny,  150;  Famine,  153; 
Mutiny  quelled,  157. 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

H1LLABEE  TOWNS— DESERTIONS  AND  MUTINY— GEOR 
GIA  VICTORIES. 

Hillabee  Deputies,  160;  Destruction  of  the  Hillabees,  161 ;  Mutiny,  162; 
Letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Blackburn,  163;  Letter  to  the  Army,  167; 
Jackson's  Address,  172;  Arrival  of  General  Cocke,  179;  Coffee's 
Brigade,  180 ;  Governor  Blount,  187 ;  General  Roberts  Cashiered, 
193 ;  Arrest  of  Kearley,  193  ;  Lilliard's  Regiment,  196 ;  Georgia 
Victories,  198. 

CHAPTER    IX. 
EMUCKFAW. 

Colonel  Carroll,  203 ;  General  Coffee,  204  ;  Indian  Spies,  206  ;  Bat 
tle  of  Emuckfaw,  208;  Carroll's  Charge,  211;  Letter  to  General 
Pinckney,  213. 

CHAPTER    X. 
ENOTICHOPCO. 

Ruse  of  Jackson,  216;  Battle  of  Enotichopco,  219;  Firmness  of  Jack 
son,  222 ;  Effects  of  the  Battle,  222  ;  Volunteers  Discharged,  225. 

CHAPTER   XI. 
TOHOPEKA. 

The  last  Mutiny,  229  ;  Battle  of  Tohopeka,  231 ;  Death  of  Major  Mont 
gomery,  233 ;  Wounded  Warrior,  237 ;  Effects  of  the  Battle,  239  ; 
Address  to  the  Troops,  240. 

CHAPTER  XII. 
CONCLUSION  OF  THE  CREEK  WAR. 

March  to  the  Hickory  Ground,  244  ;  Pursuit  of  Indians,  244  ;  Surrender 
of  Weatherford,  247  ;  Volunteers  Discharged,  251 ;  Treaty  with  the 
Creeks,  253  ;  Speech  of  Big  Warrior,  257. 


CONTENTS.  vii 

CHAPTER   XIII. 
PENSACOLA. 

Hostility  of  the  Spaniards,  263  ;  Letter  to  the  Spanish  Governor,  265  ; 
Nicholl's  Proclamation,  271  ;  Attack  on  Fort  Bowyer,  273  ;  Jackson's 
Proclamation,  275 ;  Attack  on  Pensacola,  279 ;  Storming  of  the  Battery, 
281;  Capture  of  Pensacola,  281 ;  Destruction  of  the  Barrancas,  282. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

NEW  ORLEANS— BATTLE  OF  THE  TWENTY-THIRD  OF 
DECEMBER. 

Designs  of  the  British,  289  ;  Disaffection  of  the  Inhabitants,  291  ;  Com 
mittee  of  Safety,  292  ;  Governor  Claiborne,  297  ;  Situation  of  New 
Orleans,  299  ;  Jackson's  Force,  301  ;  Governor  Shelby's  Patriotism, 
302  ;  Fortifications,  305 ;  Gunboat  Action,  309  ;  Loss  of  the  Seahorse, 
310  ;  Commodore  Patterson,  311  ;  Address  to  the  Troops,  312  ;  Con 
duct  of  the  Legislature,  317  ;  Declaration  of  Martial  Law,  318;  Judge 
Hall,  322  ;  Landing  of  the  British,  323  ;  Plan  of  March,  327  ;  Night 
Action  of  the  23d  December,  328  ;  Jackson's  Attack,  337  ;  Defeat  of 
the  British,  338 ;  Fortifying,  339  ;  Effects  of  the  Battle,  341. 

CHAPTER  XY. 
NEW  ORLEANS— BATTLE  OF  THE  FIRST  OF  JANUARY. 

The  Invading  Army,  345  ;  Jackson's  Preparations,  347  ;  Lafitte,  348  ; 
Baratarians,  349  ;  British  Offers  eluded,  352 ;  Lafitte  joins  the  Ameri 
cans,  353  ;  British  attack  the  works,  357  ;  Colonel  Henderson  killed, 
359  ;  British  erect  Batteries,  361 ;  Attempt  on  Jackson's  Life,  361 ; 
Battle  of  January  1st,  361 ;  Defence  of  the  Swamp,  363  ;  Jackson's 
Second  Line,  367  ;  Reinforcements,  369  ;  Defence  of  the  Right  Bank, 
371  ;  Battle  of  the  8th  of  January,  373 ;  Havoc  among  the  British, 
379  ;  Fall  of  Packenham,  Keane,  and  Gibbs,  378  ;  Retreat  of  the 
British,  379 ;  Death  of  Colonel  Rennie,  380  ;  Action  on  the  Right 
Bank,  380;  Loss  of  the  British,  385;  Burying  the  Dead,  389 ;  Retreat 
of  the  British,  393  ;  Bombardment  of  Fort  St.  Philip,  395  ;  Jackson's 
Return  to  New  Orleans,  397 ;  Peace  announced,  401  ;  Army  Dis 
banded,  405  ;  Return  to  Nashville,  406. 

CHAPTER   XYI. 
THE  SEMINOLE  WAR. 

Jackson  appointed  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Southern  division,  410 ; 
Visit  to  Washington,  411  ;  Visit  to  New  Orleans,  413  ;  Indian  Treaty, 
415  ;  Condition  of  Florida,  417  ;  Indian  Depredations,  421  ;  Destruc 
tion  of  the  Negro  Fort,  425  ;  M'Krimmon's  Rescue,  427  ;  Surprise  of 
Lieutenant  Scott,  429  ;  Gaines  enters  Florida,  431 ;  Jackson  takes 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

the  command,  439  ;  Fort  Gadsden  built,  441  ;  Capture  of  St.  Marks, 
445  :  Ambrister  taken,  447 ;  Arbuthnot  and  Ambrister  executed,  453 ; 
Occupation  of  Florida,  459  ;  Jackson  Visits  Washington,  461  ;  His 
Justification,  462. 

CHAPTER   XVII. 
JACKSON  AT  THE  HERMITAGE. 

Jackson  appointed  Governor  of  Florida,  467  ;  Nominated  for  the  Presi 
dency,  469  ;  Election  of  Mr.  Adams,  471  ;  Jackson  renominated,  473  ; 
Elected  President,  477. 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 
FIRST  PRESIDENTIAL  TERM. 

Inaugural  Address,  483  ;  First  Cabinet,  487  ;  Congress  of  1829,  488  ; 
Message,  490  ;  United  States  Bank,  492  ;    Debate  on  the  Constitu 
tion,  495 ;  Internal  Improvements,  497  ;  Second  Message,  499  ;  Re 
jection  of  Van  Buren  by  the  Senate,  505 ;  Veto  of  Bank  Bill,  507  ; 
Nullification,  509  ;  Proclamation,  511  ;  Calhoun's  position,  513. 

CHAPTER   XIX. 
SECOND  PRESIDENTIAL  TERM. 

Outrage  on  the  President,  521 ;  Removal  of  the  Deposites,  525;  French 
Indemnity,  527 ;  Attempt  to  Assassinate  the  President,  528 ;  Ex 
punging  Resolutions,  531  ;  Farewell  Address,  534. 

CHAPTER    XX. 
LAST  DAYS  OF  JACKSON. 

Character  of  Jackson,  537 ;  Correspondence  with  Commodore  Elliott, 
546  ;  Jackson's  Last  Will,  548  ;  His  Death-bed,  553 ;  His  Example, 
554 ;  Closing  remarks,  558. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE. 


Frontispiece — Equestrian  Portrait, 
Title — Medallion  Portrait     . 
13  Early  Life  of  Jackson 

19  Tail-Piece  .... 

20  Jackson  with  Marion  and  Davie 

23  Marion  and  his  men  ... 

25  General  Lincoln  .  .  . 

26  Charleston    .  .  . 
32  Sir  Henry  Clinton 

35  Lord  Rawdon  .... 

41  Attack  on  the  hollow  square  at  Hanging  Rock 

46  Lord  Cornwallis       .... 

50  Removal  of  the  Waxhaw  Settlers 

52  General  Greene        .... 

55  Battle  of  Cowpens 

64  Jackson  defying  the  British  officer 

73  Riding  the  circuit 

80  Marriage  of  Jackson  .  .  . 

81  Indian  War  scene 

87  Surrender  of  Russell  Bean   . 
105  The  sick  Soldier 

110  Tecumseh    ..... 

111  Massacre  at  Fort  Minims  .  . 
135  Indian  Runner          .... 
129  Bringing  in  Prisoners      . 

B 


ENORAVKKS. 
Armstrong  and  Pease. 

A.  Spencer. 

B.  F.  Waitt. 
Devereux. 


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H.  Bricher. 
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B.  F.  Waitt. 
H.  Bricher. 
Devereux. 


LIST    OF   ILLUSTRATIONS, 


131  Lincoyer  « 

133  Battle  of  Tallushatchee 

136  Adoption  of  Lincoyer  .  .  • 

139  The  Dinner  of  Acorns     . 

143  Battle  of  Talladega 

150  Soldiers  concocting  Mutiny         .  . 

155  Jackson  quelling  the  Mutiny 

159  Hillabee  Deputies 

173  Scalping  • 

175  General  Jackson  reviewing  the  Volunteers 

186  Allcorn  abandoning  the  campaign  .  , 

194  Arrest  of  Lieutenant  Kearley     . 

189  Burning  of  an  Indian  Village 

201  Mounted  Rifleman          .  .  . 

207  Spies  reporting  . 

209  Battle  of  Emuckfaw 

217  Battle  of  Enotichopco         .  .  , 

227  Log  Cabin  .... 

229  The  last  Mutiny       . 

231  Planting  the  Cannon      .  .  . 

233  Battle  of  Tohopeka 

237  Indian  Prophet    .... 

238  Young  Creek  Warrior          .  .  , 
243  General  Jackson  ill         ... 
245  Pursuit  of  Indians                              .  , 

247  Weatherford       .... 

248  Surrender  of  Weatherford  . 

254  General  Harrison  .  .  . 

255  Big  Warrior  . 

260  Treaty  with  the  Creeks 

261  Indian  Village  , 
263  Death  of  Lieutenant  Murray 

269  Arrival  of  British  ships  at  Pensacola 
274  Attack  on  Fort  Bowyer 
283  Blowing  up  of  the  Barrancas 


H.  Bricher. 

Devereux. 

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J.  Downes. 
S.  F.  Baker. 
J.  Downes. 
S.  F.  Baker. 

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LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


J.  Downes. 
it 

Devereux. 

u 


285  Retreat  of  the  British      .... 

286  Landing  of  Creeks 
288  Jackson  in  1815 

293  Jackson  conferring  with  the  Committee  of  Safety 

303  Embarkation  of  Tennessee  Troops 

304  Jackson  descending  the  Mississippi 

305  Fortifying  of  N  ew  Orleans 
307  British  Fleet  off  Pensacola 
309  Blowing  up  of  the  Seahorse 

313  General  Jackson  addressing  the  Volunteers 
319  Jackson  declaring  Martial  Law 

324  Arrival  of  the  British  Fleet 

325  Departure  of  the  Troops  for  New  Orleans 
331  Night  Action  of  the  23d  of  December 

342  Napoleon  ..... 

344  Head-Piece  to  Chapter  XV. 
346  Artillery  ...'.. 

348  Lafitte          ..... 
356  English  soldiers  throwing  up  battery     . 

358  Gun-deck 

365  General  Jackson  and  the  Cotton  Merchant        . 

368  Erection  of  Morgan's  battery 

373  General  Packenham's  Band 

375  Battle  of  New  Orleans — Death  of  General  Packenham 

378  Fall  of  General  Gibbs          .... 

381  Death  of  Colonel  Rennie 

387  General  Jackson  relieving  the  wounded  British  after 

the  battle          .  .  .  .  H.  Bricher. 

392  Burying  the  Dead  ....  Devereux. 

395  Bombardment  of  Fort  St.  Philip       .  .  .      B.  F.  Waitt, 

403  Jackson's  Farewell  Address   to  the  Army  at  New 

Orleans  .  .  .  .  .      S.  F.  Baker, 

406  Return  to  Nashville        ....  Devereux. 

408  Jackson  and  the  Soldiers      ....  " 

409  The  War-drum  " 


B.  F.  Waitt. 
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J.  Downes. 

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Xll 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


412  Madison        ...... 

414  Jackson's  Visit  to  New  Orleans 

419  Monroe         ...... 

423  Francis  Hillishago  .... 

427  Rescue  of  M'Krimmon        .... 

430  Indians  attack  Lieutenant  Scott's  party 

437  General  Jackson  addressing  the  Soldiers  of  Tennessee 

441  Rebuilding  of  Fort  Gadsden 

443  Conflict  of  the  Advanced  Guard  with  the  Indians 

449  Trial  of  Ambrister   ..... 

456  John  Quincy  Adams       .... 

464  Reception  of  Jackson  .... 

465  Jackson  at  the  Hermitage  .  . 

472  Henry  Clay  ..... 

478  Tail-Piece  ..... 

480  General  Jackson  in  1829      .... 

481  Emblems  ..... 
496  Daniel  Webster        ..... 
505  Martin  Van  Buren          .... 
514  John  C.  Calhoun       ..... 
518  United  States  Capitol      .... 
529  Attempt  to  assassinate  General  Jackson      . 

535  General  Jackson  in  his  last  days 

540  James  K.  Polk          ..... 

560  Emblems 


B.  F.  Waitt. 
Devereux. 
B.  F.  Waitt. 

Devereux. 
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B.  F.  Waitt. 
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Devereux. 


THE  period  has  already  ar 
rived  when  the  character  and 
actions  of  ANDREW  JACKSON 
can  be  reviewed  by  all  parties 
of  his  countrymen  with  can 
dour  and  fairness.  He  has 
passed  to  that  tribunal  where 
all  must  appear,  to  give  an  ac 
count  of  the  work  which 
they  have  performed  in  this 
state  of  being.  Sustained  by 
a  consciousness  of  patriotic 
and  honourable  intentions,  and 
by  the  hope  of  mercy  through 
the  Redeemer,  he  died  in  the 
assured  hope  of  a  glorious  im- 


14  EARLY    LIFE. 

mortality.  His  countrymen  mourned  his  loss  with 
unaffected  and  universal  sorrow.  They  have  already 
begun  to  realize  that  he  was  a  man  of  that  character 
and  calibre  of  which  one  example  in  an  age  is  all  that 
we  can  hope  for.  As  time  rolls  on  he  will  be  more 
highly  appreciated.  Another  war  with  England,  and 
another  threatened  dismemberment  of  the  Union, 
whenever  they  come,  will  cause  men  to  look  back  upon 
the  past,  and  to  wish  that  another  Jackson  might  arise 
to  guide  our  armies,  and  preserve  the  unity  of  the  Re 
public.  But  such  events  are  not  necessary  to  direct  at 
tention  to  his  merits.  The  eager  spirit  of  inquiry  which 
is  beginning  to  show  itself  respecting  the  past  history 
of  the  country  and  its  leading  men,  will  cause  every 
action  of  Jackson's  life  to  be  thoroughly  scrutinized. 
And  they  will  bear  the  scrutiny.  It  will  appear  that 
he  was  thoroughly  disinterested  and  patriotic  in  every 
public  act ;  that  he  was  so  admirably  just  and  noble 
in  his  private  relations  that  he  became  in  every  circle 
where  he  moved  the  delight  of  his  friends ;  that  he 
had,  like  a  true  and  faithful  American  statesman,  a 
thorough  faith  in  the  people,  a  thorough  sympathy 
with  the  people ;  and  that  through  these  qualities,  he 
became,  more  than  any  other  since  the  Father  of  his 
Country,  the  favourite  hero  of  the  people. 

The  present  attempt  to  sketch  the  leading  events 
of  his  life  has  been  undertaken  from  a  conviction  of 
his  real  greatness,  and  from  the  writer's  assent  to  the 
doctrine  which  is  thus  eloquently  laid  down  by  one 
who  has  made  heroes  his  study  : 

"  Universal  history,  the  history  of  what  man  has 
in  this  world,  is  at  bottom,  the  History 


GREAT    MEN.  15 

of  the  Great  Men  who  have  worked  here.  They 
were  the  leaders  of  men,  these  great  ones ;  the  mo 
dellers,  patterns,  and,  in  a  wide  sense,  creators  of 
whatsoever  the  general  mass  of  men  contrived  to  do 
or  to  attain  ;  all  things  that  we  see  standing  accom 
plished  in  the  world  are  properly  the  outer  material 
result,  the  practical  realization  and  imbodiment,  of 
thoughts  that  dwelt  in  the  Great  Men  sent  into  the 

o 

world :  the  soul  of  the  whole  world's  history,  it  may 
justly  be  considered,  were  the  history  of  these. 

"  Great  men,  taken  up  in  any  way,  are  profitable 
company.  We  cannot  look,  however  imperfectly, 
upon  a  great  man,  without  gaining  something  by  him. 

"  He  is  the  living  light-fountain,  which  it  is  good 
and  pleasant  to  be  near.  The  light  which  enlightens, 
which  has  enlightened  the  darkness  of  the  world :  and 
this  not  a  kindled  lamp  only,  but  rather  as  a  natural 
luminary  shining  by  the  gift  of  Heaven ;  a  flowing 
light-fountain,  as  I  say,  of  native  original  insight,  of 
manhood  and  heroic  nobleness;  in  whose  radiance 
all  souls  feel  that  it  is  well  with  them." 

If  the  doctrine  of  Carlyle  is  applicable  as  a  general 
rule,  it  is  specially  applicable  in  the  case  of  Jackson. 
His  life  is  full  of  instruction  for  his  countrymen.  It 
speaks  volumes  in  proof  of  the  genial  influence  of 
free  institutions  in  developing  real  genius  and  pro 
viding  for  it  a  grand  theatre  of  action.  The  unpro 
tected  orphan,  without  family,  friends,  fortune,  or  even 
a  finished  education,  rising  by  regular  gradations,  and 
always  by  the  unsought  suffrages  of  his  countrymen, 
from  a  private  station  to  the  highest  civil  and  military 
rank  which  the  nation  could  bestow,  affords  a  subject 


16  EARLY    LIFE. 

of  proud  contemplation  to  the  American  patriot,  and 
a  lesson  full  of  instruction  for  every  child  of  the  re 
public. 

This  broad  fact  is  not  more  instructive  than  the 
many  details  which  it  embraces.  The  several  actions 
in  Jackson's  life  afford  examples  for  the  guidance  of 
his  countrymen.  They  show  the  irresistible  strength 
which  heaven  has  granted  to  an  honest  purpose.  They 
show  the  homage  which  men  pay  to  an  iron  will,  based 
upon  the  consciousness  of  right  intentions.  They  show 
the  value  of  moral  courage.  They  show  that  the  safe 
guard  of  the  republic  consists  in  a  right  understanding 
between  its  really  great  men  and  the  millions  whom 
they  are  destined  to  lead  on  to  victory  and  national 
prosperity.  The  biography  of  such  men  as  Andrew 
Jackson  is  a  profitable  study. 


THE  multiplied  wrongs  inflicted  upon  the  people  of 
Ireland  by  their  haughty  rulers,  the  fearful  oppression 
which  for  ages  they  had  endured,  are  matters  familiar 
to  the  most  superficial  reader  of  their  history.  Their 
sufferings  at  home  caused  the  eyes  of  many  of  the 
Irish  patriots  to  be  turned  at  an  early  period  to  the 
American  colonies ;  and  numbers  availed  themselves 
of  the  asylum  offered  by  the  wilds  of  America,  to  se 
cure  peace  to  themselves  and  their  children.  Among 
the  emigrants  from  the  Emerald  Isle,  previous  to  the 
war  of  Independence,  was  Andrew  Jackson,  the  father 
of  him  whose  actions  form  our  theme.  He  arrived  at 
Charleston  in  the  year  1765,  accompanied  by  his  wife, 


DEATH  OF  JACKSON'S  FATHER.       1? 

and  two  sons,  Hugh  and  Robert,  both  quite  young. 
He  fixed  his  residence  at  the  Waxhaw  settlement,  dis 
tant  from  Camden  about  forty-five  miles;  where  he 
purchased  a  plantation,  and  where  he  hoped  to  spend 
his  old  age  in  peace.  It  was  here,  on  the  15th  of 
March,  1767,  that  his  third  son,  Andrew,  was  born. 
The  father  was  not  destined  to  behold  even  the  earlier 
glories  of  the  future  hero  of  the  west ;  about  the  close 
of  the  year  which  witnessed  the  birth  of  his  youngest 
son,  he  passed  to  brighter  scenes  in  another  and  hap 
pier  world. 

By  this  sudden  bereavement,  the  care  of  educating 
the  three  boys  devolved  upon  Mrs.  Jackson ;  a  lady  who 
appears  to  have  been  eminently  qualified  for  the  task. 
The  two  elder  children,  who  were  intended  for  a  situa 
tion  in  life  similar  to  that  occupied  by  their  father,  re 
ceived  their  education  at  a  country  school,  where  they 
acquired  only  the  simpler  branches  of  learning.  But 
Andrew,  her  youngest  and  darling  child,  was  intended 
by  his  fond  parent  to  fill  a  more  conspicuous  station  in 
life.  Her  plans,  however,  were  far  from  being  realized 
in  his  future  career  of  glory ;  although  the  position  for 
which  she  intended  him  was  one  of  honour  and  useful 
ness.  His  superior  abilities  pointed  out  a  professional 
life  as  the  one  best  suited  to  his  nature ;  and  the  pious 
mother  decided  that  he  should  be  educated  for  the 
pulpit.  Under  the  tuition  of  a  gentlemen  named  Hum 
phries,  who  taught  an  academy  in  the  Waxhaw  meet 
ing-house,  Andrew  commenced  his  classical  studies. 
He  pursued  them  for  some  time  with  ardour  and  suc 
cess,  until  the  commencement  of  the  American  Revolu 
tion  disturbed  his  peaceful  avocations,  and  from  the 
c  2  * 


18  EARLY    LIFE. 

academy  he  was  suddenly  hurried  into  those  fearful  and 
bloody  scenes  which  marked  the  partisan  warfare  of 
the  Carolinas.  In  this  severe  school  he  was  to  receive 
the  training  which  gave  him  that  unflinching  military 
courage,  and  stout,  unfailing  promptitude  of  action 
which  characterized  his  after  life.  We  may  figure  to 
ourselves  the  future  pioneer  of  the  west  in  those  his 
early  days,  relieving  the  monotony  of  his  classical  stu 
dies  by  frequent  excursions  in  the  surrounding  forests  ; 
where  the  rifle  and  the  hunting-knife  became  his  boy 
hood's  playthings;  the  parroquets  and  wild  deer  of 
those  Carolinian  woods  the  targets  of  practice  for  that 
unerring  aim  which  was  afterward  to  make  him  the 
dread  of  the  murderous  savage.  He  was  now  com 
mencing  that  rough  training  which  was  to  be  perfected 
in  the  Revolutionary  contest.  Born  but  two  years 
after  the  Stamp  Act  was  passed,  his  childhood  had 
passed  away  while  the  statesmen  of  America  had  been 
contesting  the  great  questions  on  which  the  Revolution 
was  based,  and  conducting  it  in  the  council  chamber 
to  that  point  when  recourse  was  had  to  the  final  arbiter 
of  national  quarrels,  the  sword.  The  battle  of  Lex 
ington  had  been  fought,  and  the  echo  of  its  din  had 
reached  the  wilds  of  the  Waxhaws  without  exciting 
immediate  alarm.  Later,  the  defeat  of  the  British  at 
Charleston  had  been  borne  to  the  distant  cottage  of  our 
hero's  mother,  on  the  wings  of  rumour,  and  had  brought 
the  cheering  assurance  that  for  the  present  her  fire 
side  would  be  safe  from  the  brutality  of  British  soldiers. 
Next  came  the  news  that  Independence  was  declared  ; 
and  the  young  heart  of  Jackson  exulted  in  the  con 
sciousness  that  he  had  a  country.  No  longer  a  mere 


HOSTILITIES    WITH    ENGLAND. 


19 


colonist,  he  was  destined  to  be  a  free  citizen  of  the  soil 
on  which  he  was  born ;  and  when  the  din  of  arms  came 
nearer,  and  the  foot  of  the  invader  was  already  on 
Carolinian  ground,  he  had  become  old  enough  and 
strong  enough  to  shoulder  the  partisan  rifle,  to  mount 
his  horse,  and  become  one  of  those  wild  rangers  of  the 
forest  whose  ubiquity  and  valour  were  alike  the  dread 
of  Tarleton,  Rawdon,  and  Cornwallis. 


Jackson  accompanying  Marion  and  Davie  in  the  Southern  War. 


CHAPTER    II. 
SERVICES  IN  THE  REVOLUTION. 

::i!iliSill  HE  storm  which  for  many 

'Illil'V.       >         •  ,  ;       ,  ,  ,'    Kji, 

1  jl  years  had  been  gathering 
in  the  political  horizon  of 
the  colonies  of  America, 
and  whose  first  fury  burst 
upon  the  devoted  heads  of 
the  patriots  of  Lexington, 
began  in  1778  to  agitate 
the  southern  portion  of  the  confederacy;  and  the 
peaceful  pursuits  of  the  inhabitants  were  relinquished 
for  the  din  of  arms.  While  many  of  them,  influenced 


PARTISAN    WARFARE.  21 

by  fear  or  interest,  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  demands 
of  patriotism  and  joined  the  royal  standard,  the  sons 
of  Mrs.  Jackson  ranged  themselves  under  the  banner  of 
their  country,  and  staked  their  lives  and  their  all  in 
the  struggle  for  liberty.  Their  natural  ardour,  and 
attachment  to  the  American  cause,  was  not  a  little 
increased  by  the  remembrance  of  the  injuries  suffered 
by  their  ancestors ;  and  to  their  zeal  for  freedom  was 
added  a  deep  and  abiding  detestation  of  British  ty 
ranny.  Their  grandfather  had  been  one  of  the  de 
voted  Irish  patriots,  who  vainly  struggled  to  free  their 
country  from  the  yoke  of  the  oppressor ;  and  at  the 
siege  of  Carrickfergus  he  had  laid  down  his  life  for 
his  country.  His  wrongs  and  his  melancholy  fate  had 
formed  the  frequent  subject  of  the  mother's  eloquent 
descriptions ;  and  the  lofty  patriotism  and  fervent  de 
votion  to  the  cause  of  civil  liberty  with  which  she 
inspired  her  sons,  laid  the  foundation  of  that  elevated 
and  heroic  character  which  marked  the  subsequent 
career  of  Jackson. 

While  Generals  Lincoln,  Gates,  and  Greene  com 
manded  in  succession  the  main  force  of  the  Americans 
in  the  Carolinas,  which  had  now  become  the  chief  the 
atre  of  war,  the  detachments  who  harassed  the  ene 
my  in  partisan  warfare  were  under  the  direction  of 
Marion,  Sumpter,  Pickens,  and  Davie.  These  leaders 
were  engaged  in  breaking  up  the  smaller  forts  of  the 
British,  or  in  repairing  losses  sustained  by  action. 
The  troops  which  followed  their  fortunes,  on  their 
own  or  their  friends'  horses,  were  armed  with  rifles, 
in  the  use  of  which  they  had  become  expert ;  a  small 
portion  only  who  acted  as  cavalry  being  provided  with 


22  SERVICES    IN    THE    REVOLUTION. 

sabres.  When  they  approached  the  enemy  they 
dismounted,  leaving  their  horses  in  some  hidden 
spot  to  the  care  of  a  few  comrades.  Victorious  or 
vanquished,  they  flew  to  their  horses,  and  thus  im 
proved  victory  or  secured  retreat.  Their  marches 
were  long  and  toilsome,  seldom  feeding  more  than 
once  a  day.  Their  combats  were  like  those  of  the 
Parthians,  sudden  and  fierce,  their  decisions  speedy, 
and  all  subsequent  measures  equally  prompt. 

"  Marion,"  says  Lee  in  his  memoirs,  "  was  about 
forty-eight  years  of  age,  small  in  stature,  hard  in  visage, 
healthy,  abstemious,  and  taciturn.  Enthusiastically 
attached  to  the  cause  of  liberty,  he  deeply  deplored  the 
doleful  condition  of  his  beloved  country.  The  com 
mon  weal  was  his  sole  object ;  nothing  selfish,  nothing 
mercenary  soiled  his  ermine  character.  Fertile  in 
stratagem,  he  struck  unperceived  ;  and  retiring  to 
those  hidden  retreats,  selected  by  himself,  in  the  mo 
rasses  of  Pedee  and  Black  River,  he  placed  his  corps 
not  only  out  of  the  reach  of  his  foe,  but  often  out  of 
the  discovery  of  his  friends.  A  rigid  disciplinarian, 
he  reduced  to  practice  the  justice  of  his  heart ;  and 
during  the  difficult  course  of  warfare  through  which 
he  passed,  calumny  itself  never  charged  him  with  vio 
lating  the  rights  of  person,  property,  or  of  humanity. 
Never  avoiding  danger,  he  never  rashly  sought  it ;  and 
acting  for  all  around  him  as  he  did  for  himself,  he 
risked  the  lives  of  his  troops  only  when  it  was  neces 
sary.  Never  elated  by  prosperity,  nor  depressed  by 
adversity,  he  preserved  an  equanimity  which  won  the 
admiration  of  his  friends,  and  exacted  the  respect  of 
his  enemies." 


SL'MPTER    AND   MARION. 


23 


Marion  and  his  men. 


"  Surnpter,"  says  the  same  authority,  "  was  younger 
than  Marion,  larger  in  frame,  better  fitted  in  strength 
of  body  to  the  toils  of  war,  and,  like  his  compeer,  de 
voted  to  the  freedom  of  his  country.  His  aspect  was 
manly  and  stern,  denoting  insuperable  firmness  and 
lofty  courage.  He  was  not  over  scrupulous  as  a  sol 
dier  in  the  use  of  means,  and  apt  to  make  considerable 
allowances  for  a  state  of  war.  Believing  it  warranted 
by  the  necessity  of  the  case,  he  did  not  occupy  his 
mind  with  critical  examinations  of  the  equity  of  his 
measures,  or  of  their  bearings  on  individuals ;  but  in 
discriminately  pressed  forward  to  his  end — the  des 
truction  of  his  enemy  and  the  liberation  of  his  country. 
In  his  military  character  he  resembled  Ajax ;  relying 


24  SERVICES    IN    THE    REVOLUTION. 

more  upon  the  fierceness  of  his  courage  than  the  results 
of  unrelaxing  vigilance  and  nicely  adjusted  combina 
tion.  Determined  to  deserve  success,  he  risked  his 
own  life  and  the  lives  of  his  associates  without  re 
serve.  Enchanted  with  the  splendour  of  victory,  he 
would  wade  in  torrents  of  blood  to  attain  it.  This 
general  drew  about  him  the  hardy  sons  of  the  upper 
and  middle  grounds,  brave  and  determined  like  him 
self,  familiar  with  difficulty,  and  fearless  of  danger." 

Pickens  and  Davie,  with  less  experience  in  war 
than  Marion  and  Sumpter,  were  equally  brave,  deter 
mined,  and  devoted  to  the  cause  of  liberty ;  they  per 
severed  to  the  last,  and  contributed  greatly  to  that 
success  which  was  the  first  object  of  their  efforts.* 
It  was  to  this  partisan  force  that  Andrew  Jackson  be 
came  attached  in  his  first  campaign.  This  was  the 
school  in  which  the  future  hero  of  Talladega  and  To- 
hopeka  received  the  rudiments  of  his  military  educa 
tion.  His  eldest  brother,  Hugh,  preceded  him  in  en 
tering  on  the  life  of  a  soldier.  After  the  fall  of  Sa 
vannah,  December,  1778,  the  British  invaded  South 
Carolina  (1779),  and  Hugh  attached  himself  to  a  com 
pany  commanded  by  Captain  Davie,  afterwards  Colo 
nel  Davie,  which  joined  the  army  of  General  Lincoln, 
engaged  in  the  defence  of  the  state.  In  the  unsuc 
cessful  attack  of  General  Lincoln  on  the  British  at 
Stono  (20th  June,  1779),  Hugh  Jackson  lost  his  life. 
He  died,  however,  not  from  wounds,  but  from  the  ef 
fects  of  heat  and  fatigue. 

In  the  succeeding  campaign  (1780),  the  war  was 

*  Lee's  Memoirs. 


SURRENDER    OF    CHARLESTON. 


25 


General  Lincoln. 


brought  to  the  very  doors  of  Mrs.  Jackson's  residence, 
in  consequence  of  the  surrender  of  Charleston  by 
General  Lincoln  (May  12th.)  This  blow,  for  the  mo 
ment,  completely  paralyzed  all  the  Southern  States, 
and  carried  dismay  into  every  part  of  the  union.  So 
confident  was  Sir  Henry  Clinton  of  ultimate  success 
in  completely  conquering  the  Southern  States,  if  not 
the  Northern,  that  after  accepting  the  parole  of  the 
4  3 


26  SERVICES    IN    THE    REVOLUTION, 

prisoners  of  war  taken  at  Charleston,  he  issued  pro 
clamations  requiring  them  all  to  take  up  arms  in  the 
royal  cause,  threatening  heavy  vengeance  in  case  of 
their  refusal.  In  the  meanwhile  he  had  undertaken 
three  expeditions,  with  the  object  of  clearing  the  coun 
try  of  all  the  remaining  forces  of  the  Americans — the 
first  and  most  considerable  under  Lord  Cornwallis, 
towards  the  frontiers  of  North  Carolina ;  the  second 
to  the  district  called  Ninety-Six,  on  the  southwest 
side  of  the  river  Santee ;  and  the  third  up  the  Savan 
nah  river,  towards  Augusta,  where  General  Lincoln 
had  left  a  garrison. 

Lord  Cornwallis  had  not  gone  far,  when  he  received 
intelligence  that  Colonel  Buford,  who  had  arrived  too 
late  to  be  able  to  throw  succour  into  Charleston,  had 
taken  post  on  the  banks  of  the  Santee,  with  a  consi 
derable  body  of  horse  and  foot.  He  instantly  detached 
his  ablest  and  most  savage  cavalry  officer,  Colonel 
Tarleton,  who  made  a  march  of  one  hundred  and  five 
miles  in  fifty-four  hours,  surprised  Buford  at  the  Wax- 
haws,  and  completely  routed  his  band.  Buford,  a 
fewr  of  the  cavalry,  and  about  one  hundred  infantry, 
effected  their  retreat ;  the  remainder  surrendered,  and 
were  nearly  all  butchered  by  order  of  the  inhuman 
Tarleton.  This  affair  was  bitterly  remembered  du 
ring  the  rest  of  the  war  under  the  name  of  "  Tarle- 
torfs  Quarter"  A  British  writer,  in  speaking  of  it, 
says,  "  Tarleton,  who  was  a  sort  of  partisan  officer, 
who  made  war  like  a  guerilla,  and  whose  legion  was 
composed  of  the  desperadoes  of  the  army,  never  pre 
served  that  degree  of  discipline  which  was  common  to 
the  rest  of  the  army :  his  own  character,  the  charac- 


WAXHAW    MASSACRE.  29 

ter  of  his  men,  and  the  desperate,  dare-devil  service 
on  which  they  were  almost  constantly  employed,  were 
irreconcilable  with  the  milder  spirit  and  gentler  habits 
of  troops  of  the  line,  kept  constantly  under  the  eye 
of  the  commander-in-chief  and  staff.  On  the  present 
occasion,  their  victory  seems  to  have  been  disgraced 
by  a  slaughter,  which  was  the  less  pardonable,  as  their 
own  loss  was  so  very  trifling,  amounting  only  to  five 
killed  and  fifteen  wounded." 

The  wounded  survivors  of  this  dreadful  massacre* 
were  brought  into  the  Waxhaw  meeting-house,  and 
taken  care  of  by  the  inhabitants ;  and  Andrew  Jack 
son's  mother  and  himself  were  among  the  most  active 
and  humane  in  this  labour  of  love  and  patriotism. 

Clinton's  two  other  detachments  saw  no  enemy  on 
their  march ;  but  they  received  the  submission  of  the 
inhabitants,  who  either  gave  their  paroles  to  the  com 
manding  officers,  or  took  the  oath  of  allegiance. 

The  events  which  succeeded  the  massacre  at  the 
Waxhaws,  are  thus  described  by  Lee : 

"  The  calm  which  succeeded  this  sweeping  success 
of  the  enemy  continued  uninterrupted ;  and  Corn  wallis, 
shortly  after  Buford's  defeat,  advanced  a  corps  of 
light  infantry  to  the  Waxhaw  settlement,  inhabited  by 

*"By  the  official  report,  113  were  killed,  150  so  badly  wounded 
as  to  be  paroled  on  the  ground,  most  of  whom  died,  and  53  being 
capable  of  moving,  graced  the  entry  of  the  sanguinary  corps  into 
Camden,  at  which  place  Lord  Corn  wallis  had  arrived.  In  the  an 
nals  of  our  Indian  wars,  nothing  is  to  be  found  more  shocking;  and 
this  bloody  day  only  wanted  the  war-dance  and  the  roasting  fire  to 
have  placed  it  in  the  records  of  torture  and  death  in  the  west." — Lee'$ 
Memoirs. 


30  SERVICES   IN    THE    REVOLUTION. 

citizens  whose  love  of  country  remained  unshaken 
even  by  these  shocks. 

"  This  settlement  is  so  called  from  the  Waxhaw 
creek,  which  passes  through  it,  and  empties  itself  into 
the  Catawba.  Brigadier  Rutherford,  of  North  Caro 
lina,  hearing  of  the  advance  of  this  corps,  assembled 
eight  hundred  of  the  militia,  with  a  determination  to 
protect  the  country.  His  troops  can  scarcely  be  said 
to  have  been  armed ;  they  generally  had  fowling  pieces 
instead  of  muskets  and  bayonets,  pewter  instead  of 
lead,  with  a  very  trifling  supply  of  powder.  Informa 
tion  of  this  assemblage  being  sent  to  Camden,  the  Bri 
tish  detachment  was  recalled,  and  this  valued  settle 
ment,  rich  in  soil,  and  abounding  in  produce,  was  for 
this  time  happily  released.  The  repose  which  the  dis 
trict  enjoyed,  in  consequence  of  the  abandonment  of 
the  station  at  the  Waxhaws,  was  of  short  duration. 
So  ardent  was  the  zeal  of  the  disaffected,  and  so  per 
suaded  were  they  that  the  rebellion  in  the  south  was 
crushed,  that  their  desire  to  manifest  their  loyalty 
could  not  be  repressed. 

"  A  large  body  of  loyalists  collected  under  Colonel 
Moore,  at  Armsaour's  Mill,  on  the  22d  of  June; 
among  whom  were  many  who  had  not  only  taken  the 
oath  of  allegiance  to  the  state,  but  had  served  in  arms 
against  the  British  army.  Rutherford  lost  no  time  in 
taking  his  measures  to  bring  Moore  to  submission. 
But  so  destitute  was  he  of  ammunition,  that  only  three 
hundred  men  could  be  prepared  for  the  field.  This 
detachment  was  intrusted  to  Colonel  Locke,  who  was 
ordered  to  approach  the  enemy  and  watch  his  motions, 
while  Rutherford  continued  to  exert  himself  in  pro- 


AFFAIR    AT    ARMSAOUR'S    MILL.  31 

curing  arms  for  the  main  body  to  follow  under  his  own 
direction. 

Moore,  finding  an  inferior  force  near  to  him,  deter 
mined  to  attack  it,  in  which  decision  he  was  gallantly 
anticipated  by  Locke,  who  perceiving  the  enemy's  pur 
pose,  and  knowing  the  hazard  of  retreat,  fell  upon 
Moore  in  his  camp.  Captain  Fall,  with  the  horse,  led, 
and  rushing  suddenly,  sword  in  hand,  into  the  midst 
of  the  insurgents,  threw  them  into  confusion,  which 
advantage  Locke  pressed  forward  to  improve,  when 
he  suspended  the  falling  blow  in  consequence  of  Co 
lonel  Moore  proposing  a  truce  for  an  hour,  with  the 
view  of  amicable  adjustment.  During  the  negotiation, 
Moore  and  his  associates  dispersed,  which  appears  to 
have  been  their  sole  object  in  proposing  the  suspension 
of  hostilities. 

The  cheering  intelligence  of  the  unmolested  ad 
vance  of  the  three  detachments  to  Augusta,  Ninety- 
Six,  and  Camden,  the  establishment  of  submission  and 
professions  of  loyalty,  which  were  every  where  prof 
fered  by  the  inhabitants,  crowned  by  the  destruction 
of  Buford,  extirpating  all  continental  resistance,  con 
firmed  the  long  indulged  persuasions  in  the  breast  of 
Sir  Henry  Clinton,  that  he  had  reannexed  Georgia 
and  South  Carolina  to  the  British  empire.  He  now 
determined,  as  his  final  act,  to  bolt  doubly  his  con 
quest.  On  the  3d  of  June  he  issued  his  last  procla 
mation,  undoing  of  his  own  accord  a  very  important 
condition  established  in  his  first,  without  consulting, 
much  less  receiving,  the  assent  of  the  party  who  had 
accepted  the  terms  proffered  therein.  He  declared  to 

the  inhabitants  who  had,  in  pursuance  of  his  pledged 
3* 


SERVICES    IN     THE    REVOLUTION. 


Sir  Henry  Clinto 


faith,  taken  parole,  that  with  the  exception  of  the  mi 
litia  surrendered  at  Charleston,  such  paroles  were  not 
binding  after  the  20th  of  the  month,  and  that  persons 
so  situated  should  be  considered  as  liege  subjects,  and 
thenceforward  be  entitled  to  all  the  rights,  and  sub 
jected  to  all  the  duties  of  this  new  state ;  riot  forgetting 
to  denounce  the  pains  and  penalties  of  rebellion 
against  those  who  should  withhold  due  allegiance  to 
the  royal  government.  This  arbitrary  change  of  an 


CORNWALLIS    SUCCEEDS    CLINTON.  33 

understood    contract    affected    deeply   and    afflicted 
sorely  all  to  whom  it  applied ;  and  it  was  in  conse 
quence,  as  its  injustice  merited,  fatal  to  the  bright 
prospect,  so  gratifying  to  the  British  general.     It  de 
monstrated  unequivocally  that  the  hoped  for  state  of 
neutrality  was  illusory,  and  that  every  man  capable 
of  bearing  arms,  must  use  them  in  aid  or  in  opposi 
tion  to  the  country  of  his  birth.     In  the  choice  to  be 
made,  no  hesitation  existed  in  the  great  mass  of  the 
people ;  for  "  our  country "  was  the  general  acclaim. 
The  power  of  the  enemy  smothered  for  a  while  this 
kindling  spirit ;  but  the  mine  was  prepared ;  the  train 
was  laid;    and   nothing  remained   but  to  apply  the 
match  to  produce  the  explosion.     Sir  Henry  Clinton, 
having  secured  the  conquered  state,  as  he  fondly  be 
lieved,  embarked  on  the  6th  with  the  greater  part  of 
his  army  for  New  York,  leaving  Cornwallis  with  four 
thousand  regulars  to  prosecute  the  reduction  of  the 
Southern  States.     Succeeding  Clinton  in  his  civil,  as 
well  as  military  powers,  his  lordship  was  called  from 
the  field  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  the  many  ar 
rangements  which  the  altered  condition  of  the  state 
required.     Commercial  regulations  became  necessary, 
and  a  system  of  police  for  the  government  of  the  in 
terior  was  indispensable. 

Previous  to  his  departure  from  Camden,  he  had 
advanced  a  body  of  Highlanders,  under  Major  M' Ar 
thur,  to  Cheraw  Hill,  on  the  Pedee,  for  the  purpose 
of  preserving  in  submission  the  country  between  that 
river  and  the  Santee,  and  for  communicating  readily 
with  his  friends  in  North  Carolina,  especially  with  the 

Highland  settlement  at  Cross  Creek.     Through  the 
5 


34  SERVICES    IN    THE    REVOLUTION. 

agency  of  Major  M4  Arthur,  a  regular  correspondence 
was  established  with  the  loyalists ;  they  were  advised 
of  his  lordship's  determination,  as  soon  as  the  ap 
proaching  harvest  furnished  means  of  subsistence,  to 
advance  with  his  army  into  North  Carolina,  when  he 
should  count  upon  their  active  assistance ;  and  in  the 
meanwhile  they  were  exhorted  to  continue  passive 
under  the  evils  to  which  they  were  exposed.  At  the 
same  time,  recruiting  officers  were  employed  in  South 
Carolina  and  Georgia,  by  whose  exertions  the  provin 
cial  regiments  were  considerably  augmented.  These 
preliminary  measures  for  the  invasion  of  North  Caro 
lina  being  in  execution,  his  lordship  repaired  to 
Charleston,  leaving  Lord  Rawdon  in  command  of  the 
army.  Meanwhile  Major  Da  vie  returned  to  the  coun 
ty  of  Mecklenburgh  as  soon  as  he  was  recovered  from 
the  wounds  received  in  the  attack  of  Stono,  and  as 
sembling  some  of  his  faithful  associates  of  that  district, 
took  the  field. 

Hovering  near  the  British  posts,  he  became  ac 
quainted  with  the  intended  movement  of  a  convoy, 
with  various  supplies  from  Camden,  to  the  enemy's 
post  of  Hanging  Rock,  which,  amounting  only  to  a 
small  company  of  infantry,  was  within  the  power  of 
Davie's  force.  He  made  a  rapid  and  long  march  in 
the  night,  and  having  eluded  the  hostile  patroles, 
gained  the  route  of  the  convoy,  five  miles  below  Hang 
ing  Rock,  before  the  break  of  day.  Here  he  halted 
in  a  concealed  position.  In  a  few  hours  the  convoy 
appeared,  and  Davie,  falling  vigorously  upon  it,  in 
stantly  overpowered  its  escort.  The  wagons  and 
stores  were  destroyed ;  the  prisoners,  forty  in  number, 


AFFAIR   AT    HANGING    ROCK 


35 


Lord  Rawdon. 


were  mounted  on  the  wagon  horses,  and  escorted  by 
the  major,  were  safely  brought  within  our  lines. 

About  the  same  time,  Captain  Huck,  of  Tarleton's 
legion,  had  been  detached  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Turn- 
bull,  commanding  at  Hanging  Rock,  to  disperse  some 
of  the  exiles  of  South  Carolina,  who  had  lately  re 
turned  to  the  state,  and  were  collecting  in  the  neigh 
bourhood  of  that  place  to  assist  in  protecting  the 
country.  The  captain,  with  forty  dragoons,  twenty 


36  SERVICES   IN    THE   REVOLUTION. 

mounted  infantry,  and  sixty  militia,  ventured  up  the 
country,  where  the  exiles  he  was  ordered  to  disperse, 
attacked  and  destroyed  his  detachment.  The  captain, 
notorious  for  his  cruelties  and  violence,  was  killed,  as 
were  several  others,  and  the  rest  dispersed. 

After  the  fall  of  Charleston,  General  Gates  had 
been  summoned  from  his  retreat  in  Virginia  to  com 
mand  the  southern  army.  Virginia  and  North  Carolina 
were  called  upon  to  hasten  reinforcements  of  militia 
to  the  south,  and  the  Maryland  and  Delaware  lines, 
under  the  orders  of  Major-General  Baron  De  Kalb, 
were  put  in  motion  for  North  Carolina. 

The  announcement  of  these  preparations  reani 
mated  the  patriots  of  Georgia  and  Carolina,  and  the 
smothered  discontents  growing  out  of  the  despotic 
change,  dictated  by  Sir  Henry  Clinton's  last  procla 
mation,  with  the  irritations  daily  experienced  from  his 
insolent  licentious  soldiery,  began  to  burst  forth.  Lord 
Rawdon  drew  in  M'Arthur  from  Cheraw  Hill,  and 
broke  up  most  of  his  small  posts,  dispersed  through 
out  the  country,  concentrating  the  British  in  the 
positions  of  Augusta,  Ninety-Six,  and  Camden. 

Previous  to  this  measure,  the  disaffected  of  North 
Carolina,  forgetting  the  salutary  caution  of  Lord 
Cornwallis,  and  sore  under  the  necessary  vigilance  of 
the  state  government,  had  imbodied  with  the  determi 
nation  to  force  their  way  into  the  British  camp.  This 
ill-advised  insurrection  was  speedily  crushed,  as  we 
have  seen  in  the  case  of  Colonel  Moore ;  but  Colonel 
Bryan  had  the  address  to  keep  together  eight  hundred 
of  his  followers,  and  to  conduct  them  safely  to  the 


GATES   JOINS    DE    KALB.  37 

post  at  Cheraw  Hill,  although  actively  pursued  by 
General  Rutherford. 

Meanwhile  Baron  De  Kalb  reached  Hillsborough 
in  North  Carolina,  and  after  leaving  it  was  joined  on 
the  25th  of  July  by  General  Gates.  Their  force  now 
amounted  to  fifteen  hundred  men.  The  militia  of 
North  Carolina  and  Virginia  had  not  yet  joined  them; 
and  Colonel  Porterfield,  with  four  hundred  men,  was 
still  on  the  confines  of  South  Carolina.  Colonel 
White  and  Captain  Washington,  after  the  fall  of 
Charleston,  had  retired  to  North  Carolina,  to  recruit 
their  regiments  of  cavalry.  They  solicited  General 
Gates's  aid  ;  but  he  paid  no  attention  to  their  request; 
and  in  the  sequel  suffered  severely  for  this  error.  His 
disregard  of  Baron  De  Kalb's  advice  as  to  the  route 
of  the  army  was  equally  unfortunate.  Instead  of  a 
circuitous  march  through  a  rich  and  fertile  country, 
he  chose  to  pass  by  a  shorter  route  through  a  sterile 
and  thinly-settled  region,  and  exposed  the  troops  to 
much  suffering  from  want  and  sickness. 

Gates's  advance  to  South  Carolina  roused  the  con 
cealed  patriots  into  action.  In  the  country  between 
Pedee  and  Santee,  the  spirit  of  resistance  to  British 
tyranny  manifested  itself  openly.  Major  M' Arthur, 
when  retiring  from  Cheraw  Hill,  had  availed  himself 
of  the  river  to  transport  his  sick  to  Georgetown,  at 
which  place  there  was  a  British  post.  Colonel  Mills, 
with  a  party  of  militia,  formed  the  escort  for  the  sick. 
As  soon  as  the  boats  had  reached  a  proper  distance 
from  M' Arthur,  the  militia  rose  upon  their  colonel, 
who  with  difficulty  escaped,  made  prisoners  of  the  sick, 
and  conveyed  them  safely  into  North  Carolina. 


38  SERVICES   IN    THE    REVOLUTION. 

In  the  district  lying  between  Camden  and  Ninety- 
Six,  the  same  spirit  was  evinced.  A  Lieutenant-Colo 
nel  Lyle,  who,  in  pursuance  of  Clinton's  proclamation, 
had  exchanged  his  parole  for  a  certificate  of  his  being 
a  liege  subject,  led  a  great  portion  of  the  regiment  to 
which  he  belonged,  with  their  arms  and  accoutre 
ments,  to  the  frontiers,  where  they  were  added  to  the 
recruits  assembling  to  join  Gates's  army.  Marion 
was  scouring  the  country  between  the  Pedee  and 
Santee  rivers ;  Sumpter  the  region  between  Camden 
and  Ninety-Six;  and  Pickens  that  between  Ninety- 
Six  and  Augusta. 

With  Marion  on  his  right,  and  Sumpter  on  his 
left,  and  General  Gates  approaching  in  front.  Lord 
Rawdon,  discerning  the  critical  event  at  hand,  took 
his  measures  accordingly.  He  not  only  called  in  his 
outposts,  but  drew  from  the  garrison  of  Ninety-Six 
four  companies  of  light  infantry,  and  made  known  to 
Lord  Cornwallis  the  menacing  attitude  of  his  enemy. 

Sumpter  commenced  his  inroads  upon  the  British 
territory  by  assaulting,  on  the  1st  of  August,  the  post 
of  Rocky  Mount,  in  the  charge  of  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Turnbull,  with  a  small  garrison  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  of  the  New  York  volunteers,  and  some  South 
Carolina  militia.  The  brigadier,  attended  by  the 
colonels  Lacy,  Erwine,  and  Neale,  having  each  col 
lected  some  of  their  militia,  repaired,  on  the  30th  of 
July,  to  Major  Davie,  who  still  continued  near  the 
enemy,  and  was  now  encamped  on  the  north  of  the 
Waxhaws  creek,  for  the  purpose  of  concerting  a  joint 
assault  upon  some  of  the  British  outposts.  They 
were  led  to  hasten  the  execution  of  this  step,  fearing 


DAVIE    ATTACKS    THE    LOYALISTS.  39 

that  by  delay  their  associates  might  disperse  without 
having  effected  any  thing.  After  due  deliberation, 
they  came  to  the  resolution  of  carrying  the  posts  of 
Rocky  Mount  and  Hanging  Rock  in  succession.  The 
first  of  these  is  situated  on  the  west  side  of  the  Ca- 
tawba,  thirty  miles  from  Camden,  and  the  last  was 
established  on  the  east  side  of  the  same  river,  twenty 
four  miles  from  Camden.  They  are  distant  from 
each  other  twelve  miles. 

Sumpter,  having  under  him  the  three  colonels,  ad 
vanced  with  the  main  body  upon  Rocky  Mount ;  while 
Major  Davie,  with  his  corps  and  a  part  of  the  Meck- 
lenburgh  militia,  under  Colonel  Heaggins,  marched  to 
Hanging  Rock,  to  watch  the  motions  of  the  garrison, 
to  procure  exact  intelligence  of  the  condition  of  the 
post,  and  to  be  ready  to  unite  with  Sumpter  in  the 
intended  blow. 

Rocky  Mount  station  is  fixed  on  the  comb  of  a 
lofty  eminence,  encircled  by  open  woods.  This  sum 
mit  was  surrounded  by  a  small  ditch  and  abattis,  in 
the  centre  of  which  were  erected  three  log  buildings, 
constructed  to  protect  the  garrison  in  battle,  and  per 
forated  with  loop-holes  for  the  annoyance  of  the 
assailants. 

As  Davie  got  near  to  Hanging  Rock,  he  learned 
that  three  companies  of  Bryan's  loyalists,  part  of  the 
garrison,  were  just  returning  from  an  excursion,  and 
had  halted  at  a  neighbouring  farm-house.  He  drew 
off,  determined  to  fall  upon  this  party.  This  was 
handsomely  executed,  and  completely  succeeded. 
Eluding  the  sentinels  in  one  quarter  with  his  infantry, 
and  gaining  the  other  point  of  attack  with  his  horse 
4 


40  SERVICES  IN    THE   REVOLUTION. 

undiscovered,  by  marching  through  some  adjoining 
woods,  he  placed  the  enemy  between  these  two  divi 
sions,  each  of  which  pressed  gallantly  into  action. 

The  loyalists,  finding  their  front  and  rear  occupied, 
attempted  to  escape  in  a  direction  believed  to  be 
open,  but  were  disappointed;  the  major  having  de 
tached  thither  a  party  of  his  dragoons  in  time  to  meet 
them.  They  were  all,  except  a  few,  killed  and 
wounded ;  and  the  spoils  of  victory  were  safely 
brought  off,  consisting  of  sixty  horses  and  their  trap 
pings,  and  one  hundred  muskets  and  rifles. 

The  brigadier  approached  Rocky  Mount  with  his 
characteristic  impetuosity ;  but  the  British  officer  was 
found  on  his  guard,  and  defended  himself  ably.  Three 
times  did  Stimpter  attempt  to  carry  it;  but  being 
always  foiled,  having  no  artillery  to  batter  down  the 
houses,  he  drew  off  undisturbed  by  the  garrison,  hav 
ing  lost  a  few  of  his  detachment,  with  Colonel  Neale, 
an  active,  determined,  influential  officer,  and  retired 
to  his  frontier  position  on  the  Catawba.  Here  he 
rested  no  longer  than  was  necessary  to  recruit  his 
corps,  refresh  his  horses,  and  provide  a  part  of  the 
provisions  necessary  to  support  him  on  his  next  excur 
sion.  Quitting  his  retreat  with  his  brave  associates, 
Davie,  Irvine,  Hill,  and  Lacy,  he  darted  upon  the 
British  line  of  communications,  and  fell  on  the  post  at 
Hanging  Rock,  (6th  of  August),  which  was  held  by 
Major  Garden  with  five  hundred  men,  consisting  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  infantry  of  Tarleton's 
legion,  a  part  of  Colonel  Brown's  regiment,  and  Bry 
an's  North  Carolina  corps,  a  portion  of  which  had  a 
few  days  before  been  cut  to  pieces  by  Major  Davie. 


ATTACK    ON    HANGING    ROCK.  43 

His  attack  was,  through  the  error  of  his  guides, 
pointed  at  the  corps  of  Bryan,  which,  being  surprised, 
soon  yielded  and  took  to  flight.  Sumpter  pressed 
with  ardour  the  advantage  he  had  gained,  and  bore 
down  upon  the  legion  infantry,  which  was  forced.  He 
then  fell  upon  Brown's  detachment.  Here  he  was  re 
ceived  upon  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  The  contest 
grew  fierce,  and  the  issue  doubtful ;  but  at  length  the 
corps  of  Brown  fell  back,  having  lost  nearly  all  its 
officers,  and  a  great  proportion  of  its  soldiers. 

Hamilton's  regiment,  with  the  remains  of  Brown's, 
and  the  legion  infantry,  now  formed  in  the  centre  of 
their  position,  a  hollow  square. 

Sumpter  advanced  with  the  determination  to  strike 
this  last  point  of  resistance ;  but  the  ranks  of  the 
militia  had  become  disordered,  and  the  men  scattered 
from  success,  and  from  the  plunder  of  part  of  the 
British  camp,  so  that  only  two  hundred  infantry,  and 
Davie's  dragoons,  could  be  brought  into  array.  The 
musketry  opened  ;  but  their  fire  was  ineffectual ;  nor 
could  Sumpter,  by  all  his  exertions,  again  bring  his 
troops  to  risk  close  action  against  his  well-posted 
enemy,  supported  by  two  pieces  of  artillery. 

The  cavalry  under  Davie  fell  upon  a  body  of  the 
loyalists,  who,  having  rallied,  had  formed  in  the  oppo 
site  quarter,  and  menaced  our  right  flank.  They 
were  driven  from  their  ground,  and  took  shelter  under 
the  British  infantry,  still  in  hollow  square. 

The  spoils  of  the  camp,  and  the  free  use  of  spirits 
in  which  the  enemy  abounded,  had  for  some  time  at 
tracted  and  incapacitated  many  of  our  soldiers.  It 
was  therefore  determined  to  retreat  with  the  prisoners 


44  SERVICES    IN    THE    REVOLUTION. 

and  booty.  This  was  done  about  twelve  o'clock, 
very  leisurely,  in  the  face  of  the  enemy,  who  did  not 
attempt  interruption,  so  severely  had  he  suffered.  A 
party  was  now  for  the  first  time  seen  drawn  up  on 
the  Camden  road,  with  the  appearance  of  renewal 
of  the  contest ;  but  on  the  approach  of  Davie  it  fell 
back.  Our  loss  was  not  ascertained,  from  the  usual 
inattention  to  returns  prevalent  with  militia  officers, 
many  of  our  wounded  having  been  immediately  car 
ried  home  from  the  field  of  battle.  The  corps  of 
Davie  suffered  most.  Captain  M'Clure,  of  South 
Carolina,  and  Captain  Reed,  of  North  Carolina,  were 
killed;  Colonel  Hill,  Major  Winn,  and  Lieutenant 
Crawford,  were  wounded,  as  were  Captain  Craighead, 
Lieutenant  Flenchau,  and  Ensign  M'Clure,  of  North 
Carolina.  The  British  loss  exceeded  ours.  Captain 
M'Cullock,  who  commanded  the  legion  infantry  with 
much  personal  honour,  and  two  other  officers,  and 
twenty  men  of  the  same  corps,  were  killed,  and  nearly 
forty  wounded.  Many  officers  and  men  of  Brown's 
regiment  were  also  killed  and  wounded,  and  some 
taken. 

Bryan's  loyalists  were  less  hurt,  having  dispersed 
as  soon  as  pressed.  The  error  of  the  guides,  which 
deranged  the  plan  of  attack,  the  allurements  of  the 
spoils  found  in  the  enemy's  camp,  and  the  indulgence 
in  the  use  of  liquor,  deprived  Sumpter  of  the  victory 
once  within  his  grasp,  and  due  to  the  zeal,  gallantry, 
and  perseverance  of  himself  and  officers. 

The  battle  of  Hanging  Rock  was  the  first  in  which 
Andrew  Jackson  was  engaged.  The  family  had  re 
tired  into  North  Carolina,  on  Lord  Rawdon's  advance 


BATTLE    OF    CAMDEN.  45 

to  the  Waxhaw  settlement,  and  had  returned  on  his 
retiring  to  Camden.  Andrew  and  his  brother  Robert 
had  joined  Davie's  corps,  a  short  time  before  the  bat 
tle.  For  a  boy  of  thirteen  this  was  rather  rough 
work ;  but  this  and  the  scenes  at  Waxhaw,  served  to 
inure  him  to  the  habits  of  a  warrior,  and  to  impress 
vividly  on  his  mind  the  character  of  the  enemy  with 
whom  he  was  so  frequently  to  deal  in  his  subsequent 
career. 

Although  General  Gates's  expedition  had  set  out 
early  in  the  spring,  it  was  the  beginning  of  August 
before  he  could  approach  Camden,  with  about  four 
thousand  men,  mostly  militia.  He  advanced  in  the 
determination  to  push  vigorously  offensive  operations, 
hoping  to  induce  Lord  Rawdon  to  fall  back  upon 
Charleston.  That  officer,  however,  had  given  notice 
to  Cornwallis,  who  hastened  to  the  spot ;  and  though 
the  troops,  from  disease  and  other  causes,  had  been 
reduced  to  little  more  than  two  thousand,  he  resolved 
without  hesitation  to  attack.  He  had  set  out  in  the 
night  of  the  15th,  with  a  view  to  surprise  the  Ameri 
cans,  when,  by  a  singular  occurrence,  he  met  Gates, 
in  full  march,  with  the  same  design  against  himself. 
The  advanced  guard  of  the  latter  was  driven  in,  when 
both  parties  thought  it  advisable  to  postpone  the 
general  action  till  daylight. 

In  the  American  line,  De  Kalb,  with  most  of  the 
regulars,  commanded  on  the  right,  while  the  militia 
of  Carolina  formed  the  centre,  and  that  of  Virginia 
the  left.  The  conflict  began  with  the  last,  who  were 
attacked  by  the  British  infantry  under  Colonel  Web 
ster,  with  such  impetuosity,  that  they  threw  down 


46 


SERVICES    IN    THE    REVOLUTION. 


Lord  Corn  wall  is. 


their  arms  and  precipitately  fled.  The  whole  of  the 
left  and  centre  were  very  speedily  off  the  field,  few 
having  fired  a  shot,  and  still  fewer  carrying  away  a 
musket.  Gates  was  borne  along  by  the  torrent,  and 
after  vain  attempts  to  rally  his  men,  gave  up  all  for 
lost,  and  never  stopped  till  he  reached  Charlotte, 
eighty  miles  distant.  Meanwhile,  De  Kalb,  on  the 
right,  opposed  to  Lord  Rawdon,  long  and  firmly  main 
tained  his  ground,  gaining  even  some  advantage ;  and 


TARLETON    SURPRISES   SUMPTER.  47 

it  was  not  till  the  victorious  divisions  had  wheeled 
round  against  him,  that  his  corps  was  broken  and  dis 
persed.  He  himself,  covered  with  wounds,  became  a 
captive,  and,  notwithstanding  every  care,  expired  in  a 
few  hours. 

About  one  thousand  prisoners  were  taken,  and  the 
whole  army  scattered.  Gates  seems  manifestly  to 
have  erred  in  fighting  a  pitched  battle  with  an  army 
consisting  chiefly  of  militia;  and  Tarleton  particularly 
censures  him  for  having  composed  of  them  so  great  a 
part  of  his  regular  line,  instead  of  merely  employing 
them  to  skirmish  on  his  front  and  flanks  ;  but,  in  fact, 
his  veteran  force  seems  to  have  scarcely  sufficed  for 
a  duly  extended  order  of  battle.* 

Colonel  Sumpter,  on  the  evening  before  the  battle 
of  Camden,  succeeded  in  carrying  a  strong  redoubt, 
on  the  Wateree,  taking  above  one  hundred  prisoners. 
On  learning  the  fatal  issue  of  that  day,  he  instantly 
began  his  retreat,  and  reached  with  such  celerity  the 
fords  of  the  Catawba,  that  he  considered  himself  safe, 
and  allowed  his  men  to  repose  during  the  heat  of  the 
day.  But  nothing  could  escape  the  indefatigable 
ardour  of  Tarleton,  who  had  been  sent  in  pursuit. 
His  rapidity  was  such  that  the  greater  part  of  his 
corps  could  not  follow  him,  from  fatigue ;  but  with 
one  hundred  and  sixty  only  he  came  up,  and  found 
Sumpter  completely  unprepared,  his  videttes  asleep, 
and  the  men  lying  apart  from  their  arms.  Roused 
from  slumber  by  the  attack  of  this  daring  little  band, 
they  scarcely  attempted  resistance ;  and  after  a  short 

*  Marshall — Tarleton. 


48  SERVICES  IN    THE   REVOLUTION. 

struggle,  about  half  were  captured,  the  others  dis 
persed.  They  lost  one  hundred  and  fifty  killed  and 
wounded,  besides  three  hundred  and  ten  prisoners; 
all  their  stores  were  taken,  and  the .  British  captives 
recovered. 

Cornwallis,  having  thus  become  master  of  a  consi 
derable  number  of  prisoners,  proceeded  against  them 
with  rigour ;  several,  who  had  joined  the  British 
militia  and  then  deserted  to  the  Americans,  were 
executed  as  traitors. 

After  a  few  weeks'  delay,  on  account  of  the  heat, 
the  British  general  advanced  to  Charlotte  Town,  in 
North  Carolina.  Meanwhile,  a  corps  of  about  six 
teen  hundred  loyal  militia  having  been  assembled, 
under  Major  Ferguson,  an  active  partisan,  he  was 
directed  to  move  westward,  and  clear  the  territory 
along  the  foot  of  the  mountains.  He  was  led  farther 
in  this  direction  by  the  movements  of  a  hostile  party 
which  threatened  Augusta,  where  he  approached  and 
roused  into  action  a  class,  who  were  always  re 
cognised  as  terrible  foes  to  the  British  cause.  The 
borderers  who  roved  along  the  sides  of  the  Alleghany, 
were,  if  possible,  ruder  and  bolder  than  the  boys  of 
the  Green  Mountain.  They  rode  on  light,  fleet 
horses,  carrying  only  their  rifle,  a  blanket,  and  knap 
sack.  Food  was  procured  by  the  gun,  or  on  its  occa 
sional  failure,  from  a  small  herd  of  cattle,  driven 
behind  them.  At  night,  the  earth  was  their  bed,  the 
sky  their  canopy.  They  thus  moved  with  a  swiftness 
which  no  ordinary  troops  could  rival. 

Ferguson,  having  learned  that  about  three  thousand 
of  these  daring  mountaineers  had  mustered  against 


BATTLE     OF     KING'S    MOUNTAIN.  49 

him,  began  a  rapid  retreat  upon  the  main  body  ;  but 
being  informed  that  sixteen  hundred  of  the  fleetest 
and  boldest  had  been  formed  into  a  select  band  in 
chase  of  him,  and  seeing  the  hopelessness  of  escaping 
their  almost  preternatural  swiftness,  he  took  post  on 
King's  Mountain,  and  awaited  their  attack.  They 
came  up  on  the  7th  of  October,  and  began  to  ascend 
the  mountain  in  three  divisions.  Ferguson  charged 
the  first,  and  drove  it  back  with  the  bayonet;  and 
wherever  this  weapon  could  be  used,  he  was  victori 
ous  ;  but  the  assailants  clustered  round  on  every  side, 
and  from  beneath  the  covert  of  trees  and  steeps,  dis 
charged  their  rifles  with  almost  unerring  aim.  The 
British  soon  began  to  fall  in  great  numbers,  and  when 
their  commander  himself  received  a  mortal  wound,  the 
whole  party  were  routed,  three  hundred  killed  and 
wounded,  and  the  rest  completely  dispersed.  In  re 
taliation  of  Cornwallis's  proceedings  at  Camden,  ten 
of  the  principal  captives  were  hanged  on  the  spot. 

While  these  events  were  transpiring,  Mrs.  Jackson 
and  her  sons  were  in  North  Carolina,  whither,  in 
company  with  many  other  families  from  the  Waxhaw 
neighbourhood,  they  had  retired,  subsequently  to  the 
battle  of  Camden ;  the  summary  proceedings  of  Corn- 
wallis  after  that  event  rendering  it  impracticable  for 
those  families  who  were  determined  not  to  become 
British  subjects  to  remain  in  South  Carolina.  This 
voluntary  exile  is  one  among  the  numerous  evidences 
of  resolution  and  spirit  exhibited  by  the  mother  of 
Jackson. 

Cornwallis,  meantime,  had  pushed  on  to  Salisbury, 
approaching   Virginia;    and   in   expectation    of   his 
7 


50 


SERVICES    IN    THE    REVOLUTION 


Removal  of  the  Waxhaw  settlers. 


reaching  that  state,  a  reinforcement  destined  for  him, 
under  General  Leslie,  was  ordered  to  enter  the  Chesa 
peake.  Learning,  however,  that  Ferguson  had  been 
defeated  at  King's  Mountain,  and  fearing  -  that  the 
patriots  might  overrun  and  spread  insurrection  in 
South  Carolina,  he  judged  it  necessary  to  fall  back 
upon  that  colony ;  and  Leslie  was  instructed  to  join 
by  the  circuitous  route  of  Charleston.  The  alarm 
leading  to  this  retrograde  movement  proved  in  a  great 
measure  unfounded.  The  people,  roused  by  a  local 
impulse,  having  accomplished  their  immediate  object, 
could  not  be  prevented  from  dispersing,  and  the  parti 
san  warfare  was  continued  by  only  two  small  bodies. 
Marion,  though  holding  together  only  from  fifty 
to  two  hundred  men,  severely  harassed  the  British, 
keeping  himself  so  well  covered  by  woods  and 
marshes,  that  even  Tarleton  could  not  hunt  him  down. 
Sumpter  too,  after  receiving  a  check  from  that  officer, 


GREENE  SUCCEEDS  GATES.         5J 

had  again  assembled  a  considerable  corps  of  mounted 
militia,  and  threatened  some  important  posts.  His 
former  enemy  not  being  at  hand,  Major  Wemyss  was 
employed,  and  soon  came  up  with  him;  but  being 
early  wounded,  and  his  troops  unskilled  in  this  species 
of  warfare,  he  suffered  a  severe  repulse.  It  was  then 
necessary  to  have  recourse  to  Tarleton,  and  give  him 
a  considerable  force.  Using  his  accustomed  despatch, 
he  had  nearly  got  in  the  rear  of  his  adversary,  who, 
as  soon  as  he  learned  to  whom  he  was  opposed,  hur 
ried  by  rapid  marches  to  the  Tyger,  whose  rapid 
stream  once  passed,  would  .secure  his  retreat.  Tarle 
ton,  seeing  that  with  his  whole  force  he  could  not  be 
in  time  to  prevent  this  movement,  adopted  his  former 
plan  of  pushing  forward  with  two  hundred  and  fifty 
cavalry  and  mounted  infantry.  He  found  his  oppo 
nent  strongly  posted  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and 
with  his  wonted  promptitude  rushed  forward  to  the 
attack.  The  conflict,  however,  was  obstinate  and 
bloody,  and  Tarleton  was  finally  obliged,  with  con 
siderable  loss,  to  fall  back  on  his  infantry.  Sumpter 
then  crossed  the  river ;  but  being  wounded  in  the  ac 
tion  himself,  and  rendered  incapable  of  service  for 
some  months,  his  opponent  reaped  the  fruits  of  the 
victory. 

Gates,  meantime,  used  diligent  exertions  to  collect 
and  reorganize  the  remains  of  his  defeated  army ; 
and  Congress,  amid  every  difficulty,  forwarded  to  him 
reinforcements.  His  defeat  at  Camden,  however,  be 
ing  regarded  as  the  effect  of  his  own  imprudence, 
Congress  removed  him  from  the  command,  and  ap 
pointed  General  Greene  to  succeed  him. 


52  SERVICES    IN    THE    REVOLUTION. 


General  Greene. 


When  Greene  arrived,  on  the  2d  of  December,  the 
army  had  been  raised  to  nearly  two  thousand  men, 
of  whom  the  larger  number  were  regulars.  Deter 
mining  by  some  movement  to  support  the  cause  in 
South  Carolina,  he  detached  General  Morgan,  a  very 
able  partisan  officer,  to  take  post  on  the  Broad  River, 
and  endeavour  to  cut  off  Cornwallis,  then  at  Winns- 
borough,  from  the  upper  country.  He  had  about 
six  hundred  men,  with  the  expectation  of  assembling 


BATTLE    OF    COWPENS.  53 

more  in  the  district.  On  learning  this  movement, 
Tarleton  was  immediately  despatched  with  one  thou 
sand  men  to  resist  the  inroad. 

The  American  general  at  first  abandoned  his  camp, 
and  began  a  rapid  retreat ;  but,  finding  this  difficult, 
and  his  force  being  nearly  equal,  he  resolved  to  await 
the  attack  at  Cowpens,  a  spot  three  miles  from  the 
boundary  of  the  Carolinas.  Avoiding  the  fault  of 
Gates,  he  disposed  his  militia  in  front,  keeping  in  re 
serve  a  chosen  body,  on  whom  he  could  fully  depend. 

On  the  17th  of  January,  Tarleton  came  up,  and 
immediately  rushed  to  the  charge.  The  first  Ameri 
can  line  was  soon  broken,  and  hastily  retreated  into 
the  rear  of  the  second,  which  was  then  attacked  and 
thrown  into  some  confusion,  when  Morgan  ordered 
the  men  to  fall  back  and  unite  with  the  reserve. 
This  movement  was  mistaken  for  a  flight  by  the 
assailants,  who  pushed  on  exultingly,  in  somewhat 
irregular  order. 

Suddenly,  the  Americans,  having  fully  adjusted 
their  line,  halted,  wheeled  round,  and  commenced  a 
destructive  fire  on  their  pursuers,  who,  being  seen  to 
falter,  a  charge  was  made  with  the  bayonet,  and  by 
the  cavalry  with  their  drawn  swords.  After  a  short 
contest,  the  lately  victorious  British  were  completely 
routed,  and  the  whole  infantry  surrounded  and  obliged 
to  surrender.  The  cavalry  escaped  by  flight;  but, 
upwards  of  three  hundred  were  killed  or  wounded, 
and  five  hundred  made  prisoners.  Tarleton  declares 
himself  quite  unable  to  account  for  so  total  a  rout. 
He  appears  in  fact  to  have  attacked  in  his  usual  im 
petuous  manner,  on  the  calculation  of  encountering 
5 


54  SERVICES    IN    THE    REVOLUTION, 

mostly  loose  militia  levies,  whereas  the  greater  part 
of  the  opposing  force  was  veteran ;  even  two  of  the 
militia  companies  consisted  of  regulars  recently  dis 
charged.  The  British  army  suffered  thus  most 
severely,  having  lost  all  its  light  infantry,  a  corps  par 
ticularly  useful  in  such  warfare :  nor  was  it  a  small 
misfortune  for  them  that  the  commander  considered 
by  his  countrymen  an  almost  invincible  partisan  officer 
was  thoroughly  disgraced  by  being  beaten  in  a  battle 
which,  with  his  regular  force,  he  ought  to  have  won. 

Cornwallis,  however,  having  just  received  the  rein 
forcement  of  twenty-six  hundred  men  under  Leslie, 
determined  to  efface  the  impression  of  this  disaster  by 
a  series  of  the  most  active  offensive  operations.  De 
stroying  all  his  superfluous  baggage,  he  supplied  the 
loss  of  his  light  infantry  by  converting  nearly  the 
whole  of  his  army  into  a  corps  of  that  description. 
His  first  hope  was  to  overtake  Morgan,  and  recover 
all  that  was  lost,  which  he  had  so  nearly  effected,  that 
his  van  reached  the  Catawba,  on  the  29th  of  January, 
only  two  hours  after  the  Americans  had  passed,  when 
a  torrent  of  rain  swelled  the  waters,  and  rendered  it 
impossible  for  him  to  follow. 

Greene,  who  had  hastened  to  take  the  command, 
hoped  to  defend  the  passage  of  this  river ;  but  it  was 
forced  on  the  1st  of  February,  at  a  private  ford,  de 
fended  by  Colonel  Davidson,  who  was  defeated  and 
killed.  Tarleton  then  surprised  and  dispersed  a  body 
of  militia  assembled  at  a  neighbouring  inn. 

O  o 

General  Greene  considering  himself  wholly  unable 
to  hazard  a  battle,  retreated  before  his  adversary,  who 
immediately  began  a  chase,  which  was  continued  in 


GREENE'S  MASTERLY  RETREAT.      57 

cessantly  and  rapidly  across  the  whole  of  North  Caro 
lina.  On  the  night  of  the  2d  of  February,  the  two 
divisions  of  the  American  army  having  effected  a 
junction,  crossed  the  Yadkin,  but  so  closely  followed, 
that  their  rear  skirmished  with  the  van  of  the  enemy, 
and  part  of  the  baggage  was  taken.  By  another 
favourable  chance,  heavy  rain  fell  during  the  night, 
and  in  the  morning  rendered  the  river  impassable; 
so  that  Cornwallis  was  obliged  to  make  a  circuit  to 
its  upper  fords,  while  his  opponent  continued  his  re 
treat.  He  marched  towards  the  Dan,  the  chief  branch 
of  the  Roanoke,  which  flows  nearly  along  the  boun 
dary  of  Carolina  and  Virginia.  It  was  a  broad,  un- 
fordable  stream,  and  Greene,  if  he  reached  the  other 
side,  would  be  in  safety ;  but  the  pursuit  was  con 
tinued,  in  the  confident  hope  of  his  being  unable  to 
find  vessels  sufficient  to  transport  over  his  troops. 
This  was  indeed  the  case  at  the  ferry  immediately 
before  him;  but  by  an  able  movement,  he  led  his 
army  twenty  miles  downward  to  two  others,  sending 
a  detachment  to  bring  the  boats  from  the  upper  one. 
He  thus  collected  a  sufficient  number,  and  by  extraor 
dinary  exertions,  had  his  army  ferried  over,  his  rear 
reaching  the  northern  bank  just  as  the  English  van 
appeared  on  the  southern. 

This  march  was  considered  highly  creditable  to 
Greene,  who  gained  great  applause,  on  account  of  his 
disadvantageous  situation,  fleeing  before  a  superior 
enemy,  who  pursued  with  such  rapidity,  yet  placing  in 
safety  not  only  his  army  but  the  greater  part  of  his 
heavy  baggage. 

Cornwallis  now  gave  up  the  pursuit,  and  repaired 


58  SERVICES    IN    THE    REVOLUTION. 

to  Hillsborough,  with  the  view  of  calling  out  and  or 
ganizing  the  royalist  force.  On  the  other  hand, 
Greene,  having  obtained  a  reinforcement  of  Virginia 
militia,  repassed  the  Dan,  and  with  his  light  troops 
endeavoured  to  annoy  the  British  army,  and  prevent 
recruiting.  Major  Lee  surprised  a  detachment  of 
royalists,  who  mistook  him  for  Tarleton,  and  cut  them 
nearly  to  pieces. 

On  account  of  the  exhausted  state  of  the  country 
at  Hillsborough,  Cornwallis  withdrew  to  a  position  on 
the  Allimance  Creek,  between  Haw  and  Deep  rivers, 
where  he  could  be  better  supplied,  and  support  his 
friends,  who  were  there  numerous.  Greene,  however, 
by  an  active  use  of  his  cavalry  and  light  troops,  se 
verely  harassed  his  opponent ;  and  by  changing  his 
own  position  every  night,  eluded  the  attempt  to  bring 
him  to  an  engagement. 

At  length,  the  American  general,  having  received 
reinforcements,  which  raised  his  army  to  above  four 
thousand  two  hundred  men,  of  whom  about  a  third 
were  regulars,  determined  to  offer  battle.  This  was 
what  the  other  had  eagerly  sought ;  his  own  effective 
force  being  but  twenty-four  hundred  men ;  and  al 
though  they  were  chiefly  veteran  troops,  he  felt  some 
hesitation,  and  probably  would  have  acted  more  wisely 
in  maintaining  the  defensive.  Even  the  enterprising 
Tarleton  observes,  that  in  his  circumstances,  defeat 
would  have  been  total  ruin,  while  any  victory  he 
might  expect  to  gain  could  yield  little  fruit.  All  the 
habits  and  views  of  Cornwallis,  however,  being  di 
rected  to  an  active  campaign,  he  formed  his  resolution, 
and  on  the  15th  of  March,  proceeded  to  the  attack. 


BATTLE    OF    GUILFORD.  59 

Greene  had  drawn  up  his  army  very  judiciously 
near  Guilford  Court-House,  mostly  on  a  range  of  hills 
covered  with  trees  and  brushwood.  Adopting  still 
the  system  of  making  the  militia  bear  the  first  brunt, 
he  placed  that  of  Carolina  in  the  front,  while  the  Vir 
ginian,  considered  somewhat  better,  formed  the  second 
line,  and  he  remained  in  the  third  with  the  continental 
troops,  in  whom  alone  he  placed  full  confidence.  The 
British,  proceeding  with  impetuosity,  and  having  dri 
ven  in  the  advanced  guard  of  cavalry,  attacked  the 
Carolina  line,  who  scarcely  discharging  their  muskets, 
fled  precipitately  after  the  first  hostile  fire,  and  many 
even  before.  This  front  having  given  way,  the 
next  movement  was  against  the  Virginians,  who  stood 
their  ground  with  firmness,  and  kept  up  their  fire  till 
ordered  to  retreat.  The  assailants  then  advanced 
against  the  third  line ;  but  the  regiments  having  expe 
rienced  different  degrees  of  resistance,  came  on  impe 
tuously  in  an  uneven  line  and  some  disorder.  Greene 
then  felt  sanguine  hopes  that  a  steady  charge  from  his 
chosen  troops  would  turn  the  fortune  of  the  day.  He 
was  dismayed  to  see  the  second  Maryland  regiment 
give  way  at  once,  after  which  he  thought  only  of  re 
tiring,  but  Colonel  Gunby,  at  the  head  of  the  first, 
gained  a  decided  advantage  over  the  corps  under  Co 
lonel  Stewart,  and  there  followed  an  obstinate  and 
somewhat  desultory  contest  between  the  different 
corps,  after  which  the  Americans  were  compelled  to  a 
general  retreat.  Yet,  a  strong  body  of  riflemen  on 
the  left  flank  kept  up  a  galling  fire,  till  Tarleton  with 
the  cavalry  drove  them  off  the  field.  In  this  hard- 
fought  battle  the  Americans  own  a  loss  of  three  hun- 


60  SERVICES    IN    THE    REVOLUTION. 

dred  continentals  and  one  hundred  militia  killed  and 
wounded.  Cornwallis  kept  the  field,  but  notwithstand 
ing,  the  British  interest  in  North  Carolina  was  that 
day  ruined. 

The  British  lost  in  the  battle  of  Guilford  five  hun 
dred  and  thirty-two  men  in  killed  and  wounded,  inclu 
ding  two  of  their  best  officers,  and  reducing  their  ef 
fective  force  below  fifteen  hundred.  Although  Corn 
wallis  claimed  the  victory,  he  was  obliged  to  fall  back 
upon  Wilmington,  a  step  which  involved  the  abandon 
ment  of  North  Carolina.  Greene  consequently  re 
solved  to  carry  the  war  into  South  Carolina ;  and 
Cornwallis  proceeded  towards  Virginia,  where  he  was 
destined  to  close  his  military  career  in  America  by 
the  surrender  of  Yorktown. 

In  February,  Mrs.  Jackson  and  her  family  returned 
from  North  Carolina  to  the  homestead  in  Waxhaw. 
This  was  a  bold  step,  considering  that  Camden,  not 
far  from  her  residence,  was  held  by  a  British  garrison, 
and  that  the  whole  country,  in  every  direction,  was 
infested  with  British  marauders  and  Tories,  who  car 
ried  on  the  war  in  a  spirit  of  extermination,  plunder 
ing  and  killing  the  inhabitants,  without  respect  to  age 
or  sex. 

No  family  could  go  to  rest  without  serious  appre 
hensions  of  being  assailed  in  the  night  by  these  ruth 
less  enemies,  who,  in  many  cases  put  all  to  the  sword 
who  could  bear  arms,  and  after  ransacking  and  pilla 
ging  the  house,  set  it  on  fire,  and  left  the  women  and 
children  to  seek  shelter  where  they  could.  "  The 
spectacle,"  says  a  British  writer,  "  of  women  of  the 
first  distinction  fleeing  with  their  families  in  a  state 


"REBEL    LADIES."  61 

of  total  destitution,  excited  public  sympathy.  It  was 
unfortunate  for  Britain  that  the  fair  sex  strongly  shared 
these  feelings,  and  many  warmly  espoused  the  pat 
riotic  cause,  glorying  even  in  the  title  of  "rebel  la 
dies." 

Mrs.  Jackson  was  one  of  these  rebel  ladies,  des 
tined  to  exhibit  the  most  heroic  devotion  to  the  cause, 
and  to  lay  down  her  life  at  the  altar  of  patriotism. 
Her  sons  shared  her  feelings ;  and,  young  as  they  were, 
accustomed  themselves  to  sleep  upon  their  arms,  ready 
to  resist  a  midnight  attack  of  the  Tories.  Their  tender 
age  did  not  prevent  them  from  joining  in  the  measures 
for  protection  and  defence  to  which  all  able-bodied 
men  were  driven  by  the  stress  of  the  times.  They 
were  often  attached  to  the  patroles  which  were  under 
arms  in  the  neighbourhood  through  the  night.  Their 
conduct  on  these  occasions  is  thus  described  by  Mr. 
Garland. 

"  At  the  age  of  thirteen,  Andrew  Jackson  was  not, 
like  the  boys  of  our  day,  engaged  in  some  school  or 
academy,  learning  Greek  and  Latin,  and  mathematics, 
storing  his  mind  with  knowledge,  and  preparing  himself 
for  future  usefulness.  He  was  in  the  field,  not  in  the 
corn-field  or  wheat-field,  reaping  the  fruits  of  honest 
industry,  but  in  the  battle-field,  fighting  in  defence  of 
his  country. 

"  The  boy  of  thirteen,  with  sword  and  gun,  rode 
by  the  side  of  Marion,  and  Davie,  and  Sumpter,  re 
nowned  leaders,  whose  deeds  of  daring  are  familiar 
to  the  youngest  child  that  hears  me.  Those  heroic 
men,  by  their  valour  and  fortitude,  filled  the  wrorld 
with  admiration,  and  called  back  in  imagination  the 


62  SERVICES    IN    THE    REVOLUTION, 

age  of  chivalry  and  romance,  yet  they  did  not  surpass 
the  heroism  and  fortitude  of  their  youthful  companion. 
It  was  no  common  war  in  which  he  was  called  to  en 
gage,  in  the  Waxhaw  Settlement.  It  was  a  civil  war, 
indeed — a  war  of  extermination,  in  which  neighbour 
practised  on  neighbour  such  deeds  of  cruelty  as  would 
have  put  the  Creeks  or  Cherokees  to  shame.  Those 
who  in  former  days  had  set  in  the  shadow  of  his  mo 
ther's  door,  broken  bread  at  her  hospitable  board,  and 
spoken  words  of  kindness  to  her  widowed  heart,  now 
sought  to  wrap  her  humble  dwelling  in  flames,  and  to 
take  the  life  of  her  fatherless  children.  The  patriot 
soldier  dared  not  visit  his  own  home,  and  seek  an 
hour's  repose  in  the  bosom  of  his  family,  without  a 
body-guard  to  protect  him  from  the  assault  of  his -Tory 
neighbours.  On  one  such  occasion,  Andrew  Jackson 
and  his  brother  Robert,  with  four  or  five  others,  vo 
lunteered  to  stand  guard  for  Captain  Sands,  while  he 
sought  a  night's  repose  with  his  family.  At  midnight, 
when  all  were  asleep,  having  no  immediate  apprehen 
sions  of  an  attack,  a  party  of  Tories,  divided  into  pla 
toons,  approached  the  house  in  front  and  rear. .  One 
wakeful  soldier,  hearing  a  noise,  went  out  and  saw  the 
party  approaching  in  front.  Running  back  in  terror, 
he  seized  Jackson  by  the  hair,  exclaiming,  '  The  To 
ries  are  upon  us !' 

"  Jackson  sprang  up,  ran  out  to  the  front  door,  and 
challenged  the  approaching  party.  Again  he  chal 
lenged — but  no  answer — he  fired — his  fire  was  re 
turned  by  a  volley  from  the  whole  platoon.  The  sol 
dier  by  his  side  fell  dead — he  retreated  to  the  door, 
and  with  two  others  defended  it  to  the  last  extremity. 


DEFIES    THE    BRITISH    OFFICER.  63 

Both  his  companions  fell ;  but  he  stood  unhurt,  fight 
ing  to  the  last.  A  fortunate  circumstance  caused  the 
enemy  to  retreat,  and  the  young  hero  had  the  satis 
faction  to  know  that  his  promptness  and  valour  had 
saved  his  friend  from  assassination,  and  the  family 
and  property  of  his  friend  from  insult  and  destruction. 
Delightful  foretaste  of  that  greater  bliss  which  was  to 
fill  his  joyful  heart,  when  in  his  triumphal  inarch  he 
trod  upon  roses  scattered  in  his  path  by  the  rescued 
maidens  of  New  Orleans ! 

"On  another  occasion,  when  a  band  of  patriots 
were  waiting  at  the  Waxhaw  meeting-house  for  some 
of  their  companions,  they  saw  a  party  approaching 
that  they  took  to  be  friends ;  but,  on  a  nearer  view, 
discovered  them  to  be  Tories  in  citizens'  dress,  with  a 
body  of  British  dragoons  in  rear.  Many  by  this  strat 
agem  were  captured.  But  Robert  and  Andrew  Jack 
son,  light  boys  with  brave  hearts,  on  fleet  horses  made 
their  escape  through  the  woods  and  swamps.  They 
stayed  out  all  night,  and  on  entering  a  house  next  day 
in  search  of  something  to  eat,  were  surrounded  by  the 
dragoons  and  taken  prisoners.  While  there,  a  British 
officer,  a  disgrace  to  his  name  and  profession,  de 
manded  of  Andrew  Jackson  to  perform  an  ignomi 
nious  office ;  which  he  indignantly  refused.  Boys ! 
what  would  you  have  done  in  this  situation  ?  A  help 
less  captive,  in  the  hands  of  ruthless  soldiers — an  in 
solent  officer,  with  bent  brows  and  uplifted  sword  de 
manding  of  you  to  clean  his  boots — what  would  you 
have  done?  In  such  helplessness,  and  with  such 
threatening  danger  overhanging  you,  would  you  not 
have  slunk  away,  and  quietly  cleaned  the  mud  from 


64  SERVICES    IN    THE    REVOLUTION. 


Jackson  defying  the  British  officer. 

the  boots  of  your  insolent  captor  ?  Not  so  Andrew 
Jackson !  Boy  as  he  was — defenceless  as  he  was,  he 
scornfully  refused ;  demanding  to  be  treated  with  re 
spect  due  to  a  prisoner  of  war  and  a  gentleman.  Did 
the  British  officer  receive  with  admiration  that  act  of 
heroism,  and  extend  a  hand  of  forgiveness  to  the 
youthful  hero  ?  He  struck  a  violent  blow  at  his  head ! 
Jackson,  throwing  up  his  left  arm,  received  the  stroke 
that  was  aimed  at  his  life.  The  arm  was  broken,  but 
the  heroic  life  was  saved,  to  chastise  in  after  years, 
that  act  of  British  tyranny  and  insolence. 

"  The  same  ignominious  task  was  now  required  of 
Robert.  He  with  equal  spirit  refused,  and  received  a 
sabre-stroke  on  his  head,  which  not  many  weeks  after 
wards  proved  fatal  to  his  life.  Those  tw^o  wounded 
boys  were  marched  to  Camden;  not  a  mouthful  of 


JACKSON   A   PRISONER,  65 

food  or  a  drop  of  water  was  given  them  by  the  way. 
The  brutal  savages,  with  British  uniforms  on  their 
backs,  refused  them  even  the  privilege  of  slaking 
their  fevered  thirst  by  scooping  up  water  in  their 
hands  as  they  rode  across  the  river!  Arriving  at 
Camden,  they,  with  a  multitude  of  others,  were  thrust 
into  prison.  No  attention  was  paid  to  their  wounds 
or  to  their  wants.  They  had  no  beds,  nor  any  sub 
stitute — their  only  food  was  a  scanty  supply  of  bad 
bread.  They  were  robbed  of  their  clothing,  taunted 
by  Tories  with  being  rebels,  and  assured  that  they 
would  be  hanged.  Andrew  Jackson  was  stripped  of 
his  jacket  and  shoes,  and  separated  from  his  brother 
so  soon  as  their  relationship  was  known.  The  small 
pox  made  its  appearance  among  the  prisoners.  No 
step  was  taken  to  stay  its  progress,  or  mitigate  its  ra 
vages.  Denied  the  attention  of  physician  or  nurse, 
they  were  left  to  perish,  without  sympathy  or  compas 
sion.  In  this  state  of  things,  Andrew  Jackson  fell  in 
to  conversation  with  the  officers  of  the  guard,  described 
the  condition  of  the  prisoners,  and  remonstrated  against 
the  treatment  they  had  received.  A  boy  not  yet  four 
teen  years  of  age,  who  had  proved  that  he  neither  feared 
the  sword  nor  the  insolence  of  power,  now  dared,  in  a 
dungeon  surrounded  with  disease,  squalor,  and  death, 
to  confront  his  stern  keepers,  and  in  the  honest  and 
simple  eloquence  of  youth,  tell  the  truth  to  ears  most 
unwilling  to  hear  it.  Heroic  lad !  how  my  soul  yearns 
over  thee !  and  even  in  sadness  rejoiceth  that  human 
nature,  with  all  its  vileness,  is  endowed  with  so  much 
of  the  God-like !  How  I  long,  bold  youth !  to  take 
thee  in  my  arms,  and  from  the  light  of  thine  eyes  and 


66  SERVICES   IN    THE    REVOLUTION. 

the  proud  swell  of  thy  bosom,  draw  some  inspirations 
of  the  divine  nature  that  fills  th'ee  ! 

"  Hearing  in  her  loneliness  of  the  capture  and  con 
finement  of  her  sons,  Mrs.  Jackson  hastened  down  to 
oamden  to  minister  to  their  wants  and  rescue  them 
from  captivity.  What  a  spectacle  to  a  fond  mother ! 
Both  infected  with  the  small-pox — both  emaciated  to 
skeletons,  and  almost  naked !  By  the  kind  assistance 
of  an  American  officer,  she  effected  an  exchange  of 
prisoners,  with  her  sons  included  in  the  number,  and 
immediately  started  home  with  her  melancholy  charge. 

"  There  were  but  two  horses  for  the  whole  com 
pany.  Mrs.  Jackson  rode  on  one — on  the  other  Ro 
bert  was  held  by  his  companions,  while  Andrew  walked 
barefooted  and  half-clad.  They  journeyed  forty  miles 
through  a  desolate  country,  and  before  reaching  home 
a  drenching  rain  drove  in  the  small-pox  on  both  boys. 
In  a  few  days,  Robert  breathed  his  last— Andrew  be 
came  delirious,  and  remained  for  some  time  in  a  hope 
less  condition.  By  the  constant  care  of  a  good  Sa 
maritan,  he  was  at  length  restored,  the  only  son  of  his 
widowed  mother ! 

"  But  this  saint-like  woman  was  not  content  with 
the  rescue  of  her  own  children.  No  sooner  was  her 
now  only  son  restored  to  life,  than  she  hastened  down 
to  Charleston  to  minister  to  the  wants  of  her  country 
men,  confined  in  the  prison-ships  there— whose  suffer 
ings  and  privations  were  only  surpassed  by  the  poor 
wretches  crammed  into  the  middle  passage  of  an  Af 
rican  slave-ship.  She  went — accomplished  her  mission 
of  mercy — but  never  returned.  Seized  with  the  prison 
fever  on  her  way  back,  she  fell  by  the  way-side,  and 


JACKSON   LOSES  HIS  MOTHER.  67 

was  buried  no  mortal  knows  where.  Andrew  Jackson 
never  knew  where  to  find  his  mother's  grave — never 
knew  where  to  pour  out  his  orphan  tears  on  the  sense 
less  clod  that  covered  the  remains  of  all  that  was  dear 
to  him  on  earth  !  Hapless  was  his  fate !  A  father's 
care  he  never  knew — his  eldest  brother  long  since 

O 

gone — Robert  murdered — and  his  mother  now  a  vic 
tim  to  the  cruelties  of  the  same  ruthless  enemy.  Like 
Logan,  or  "  The  ancient  mariner,"  far  out  at  sea,  with 
his  companions  all  dead,  could  he  exclaim — 

"  Alone  !  alone,  all,  alt  alone  ! 
Alone  on  the  wide,  wide  sea !" 

But  he  was  not  alone.  There  was  a  God  that  over 
ruled  his  destiny — that  set  him  apart  and  ordained 
him  as  a  fit  instrument  to  accomplish  his  divine  pur 
poses  in  the  history  of  man.  He  had  no  father,  like 
Hannibal,  to  lead  him  to  the  altar  of  his  country  and 
make  him  swear  eternal  hostility  to  Roman  power. 
But  in  the  depths  of  his  orphan  heart,  and  in  the  pre 
sence  of  the  God  that  guided  his  footsteps,  did  he 
swear  eternal  vengeance  against  that  modern  Rome, 
whose  iron  heel  for  centuries  had  trodden  out  the 
spirit  of  his  fatherland,  who  had  sought  to  subjugate 
the  land  of  his  birth,  the  refuge  of  the  oppressed,  and 
had  steeped  his  murderous  sword  in  the  blood  of  his 
own  kindred  !" 

It  was  while  Andrew  Jackson  was  a  prisoner  at 
Camden,  that  he  witnessed  General  Greene's  engage 
ment  with  Lord  Rawdon.  The  first  encounter  took 
place  at  Hobkirk's  Hill,  near  Camden,  on  the  25th  of 
April,  and  ended  in  the  defeat  of  the  Americans ;  but 
6 


68  SERVICES  IN    THE   REVOLUTION. 

did  not  change  materially  the  relative  situation  of 
the  armies.  Greene  could  still  maintain  his  position 
and  support  the  detachments  of  Lee,  Marion  and 
Sumpter,  which  were  operating  in  the  rear  of  Lord 
Rawdon's  army. 

Lee  and  Marion  proceeded  first  against  Fort  Wat 
son  on  the  Santee,  which  commanded  in  a  great  mea 
sure  the  communication  with  Charleston.  Having 
neither  artillery  or  besieging  tools,  they  reared  a  tow 
er  above  the  level  of  the  rampart,  whence  their  rifle 
fire  drove  the  defenders,  and  themselves  then  mounted 
compelled  the  garrison  to  surrender.  They  could 
not,  however,  prevent  Colonel  Watson  from  leading 
five  hundred  men  to  reinforce  Lord  Rawdon,  who  then 
advanced  with  the  intention  of  bringing  Greene  again 
to  action ;  but  found  him  fallen  back  upon  so  strong  a 
position,  as  to  afford  no  reasonable  hope  of  success. 
His  lordship  finding  his  convoys  intercepted,  and  view 
ing  the  generally  insecure  state  of  his  posts  in  the  lower 
country,  considered  himself  under  at  least  the  tem 
porary  necessity  of  retreating  thither.  He  had  first 
in  view  the  relief  of  Motte's  House  on  the  Congaree  ; 

O  ' 

but  before  reaching  it,  he  had  the  mortification  to  find 
that,  with  the  garrison  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-five, 
it  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  Marion  and  Lee.  He 
continued  his  march  to  Monk's  Corner,  where  he  co 
vered  Charleston  and  the  surrounding  country. 

The  partisan  chiefs  rapidly  seized  this  opportunity 
of  attacking  the  interior  posts;  and  reduced  suc 
cessively  Orangeburg,  Granby  on  the  Congaree,  and 
Augusta,  the  key  of  Upper  Georgia.  In  these  five 
forts  they  made  eleven  hundred  prisoners.  The  most 


ATTACK   ON    NINETY-SIX.  69 

important  one,  however,  was  that  named  Ninety-Six, 
on  the  Saluda,  defended  by  a  garrison  of  five  hundred 
men.  Orders  had  been  sent  to  them  to  quit  and  retire 
downwards ;  but  the  messenger  was  intercepted ;  and 
Colonel  Cruger,  the  commander,  made  the  most  active 
preparations  for  its  defence.  Greene  considered  this 
place  of  such  importance,  that  he  undertook  the  siege 
in  person,  with  a  thousand  regulars.  He  broke  ground 
before  it  on  the  night  of  the  23d  of  May,  and  though 
much  impeded  by  a  successful  sally  on  the  following 
day,  proceeded  with  such  energy,  that  by  the  3d  of 
June,  the  second  parallel  was  completed,  and  the  gar 
rison  summoned,  but  in  vain,  to  surrender.  On  the  8th 
he  was  reinforced  by  Lee,  from  the  capture  of  Augus 
ta  ;  and  though  he  encountered  a  most  gallant  and  ef 
fective  resistance,  trusted  that  the  place  must  in  due 
time  fall.  Three  days  after,  however,  he  learned  that 
Rawdon,  having  received  a  reinforcement  from  Ireland, 
was  in  full  march  to  relieve  it,  and  had  baffled  the  at 
tempts  of  Sumpter  to  impede  his  progress.  The  Ameri 
can  leader,  therefore,  feeling  himself  unable  to  give  bat 
tle,  saw  no  prospect  of  carrying  the  fortress,  unless  by 
storm.  On  the  18th,  an  attack  against  the  two  most 
commanding  outworks  was  led  by  Lee  and  Campbell, 
the  former  of  whom  carried  his  point ;  but  the  latter, 
though  he  penetrated  into  the  ditch,  and  maintained 
his  party  there  for  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  found 
them  exposed  to  so  destructive  a  fire,  as  compelled  a 
general  retreat.  The  siege  was  immediately  raised, 
and  Lord  Rawdon,  on  the  21st,  entered  the  place  in 
triumph.  Being  again  master  of  the  field,  he  pressed 
forward  in  the  hope  of  bringing  his  antagonist  to  battle; 


70  SERVICES    IN    THE    REVOLUTION. 

but  the  latter  rather  chose  to  fall  back  towards  the 
distant  point  of  Charlotte  in  Virginia,  while  Rawdon 
did  not  attempt  to  pursue  him  beyond  the  Ennoree. 

Notwithstanding  this  present  superiority,  his  lord 
ship,  having  failed  in  his  hopes  of  a  decisive  victory, 
and  viewing  the  general  aspect  of  the  country,  con 
sidered  it  no  longer  possible  to  attempt  more  than 
covering  the  lower  districts  of  South  Carolina.  He 
therefore  fell  back  to  Orangeburg  on  the  Edisto ;  and 
though  he  attempted  at  first  to  maintain  Cruger  with 
a  strong  body  at  Ninety-Six,  was  soon  induced  to  re 
call  him.  Greene,  being  reinforced  by  one  thousand 
men  under  Marion  and  Sumpter,  reconnoitred  his  po 
sition,  but  judged  it  imprudent  to  attack ;  and  both  ar 
mies,  exhausted  by  such  a  series  of  active  movements, 
took  an  interval  of  repose  during  the  heat  of  the  season. 

Lord  Rawdon,  being  at  this  time  obliged  by  ill-health 
to  return  home,  left  the  army  under  Colonel  Stuart, 
who,  to  cover  the  lower  country,  occupied  a  position 
at  the  point  where  the  Congaree  and  Wateree  unite 
in  forming  the  Santee.  Greene,  having  received  rein 
forcements  from  the  north,  and  collected  all  his  par 
tisan  detachments,  found  himself  strong  enough  to  try 
the  chance  of  battle.  His  approach  with  this  evident 
view,  induced  the  other  party  to  retire  forty  miles 
down  the  river,  to  the  strong  post  of  Eutaw,  whither 
the  American  general  immediately  followed  by  slow 
and  easy  marches.  On  the  8th  of  September,  the  lat 
ter  determined  to  attack  the  British  camp,  placing  as 
usual,  his  militia  in  front,  hoping  that  the  English,  in 
beating  and  pursuing  them,  would  at  least  get  into 
confusion;  but  from  this  very  dread,  the  latter  had 


BATTLE    OF    EUT  AW.  71 

been  warned  to  keep  their  posts  till  ordered  to  move. 
The  American  front,  however,  maintained  their  ground 
better  than  usual,  and  the  British,  before  beating  them, 
became  heated,  and  forgetful  of  the  warnings  given, 
pushed  forward  irregulary.     They  were  then  charged 
by  the  veterans  in  the  second  line,  and  after  a  very 
desperate  struggle,  driven  off  the  field.     There  lay  in 
their  way,  however,  a  large  brick  building  and  adja 
cent  garden,  where  Stuart  placed  a  strong  corps,  who 
could   not  be  dislodged,  and  kept  up  a  deadly  fire, 
which  checked   the  victors,   enabling    the  retreating 
troops  to  be  formed  anew.     At  the  same  time,  Colonel 
Washington  attacked  the  British  flank ;  but  finding  it 
strongly  posted  among  woods,  he  was  repulsed  with 
great  loss,  and  himself  taken  prisoner.     The  American 
general,  seeing  no  hope  of  making  any  further  im 
pression,  retreated  to  his  previous  position.     In  this 
bloody  and  doubtful  battle,  both  parties  claim  the  vic 
tory,  though  the  British  seemingly  with  most  reason, 
as  the  general  result  was  their  repulse  of  an  assailing 
force.     It  was  certainly  far  from  decisive ;  and  their 
loss   of  eighty-five  killed  and  six  hundred  and  eight 
wounded,  was  very  little  less  than  that  of  the  enemy, 
who  carried  off  also  above  two  hundred  prisoners. 
The   British  commander  then    formed    a  resolution, 
prompted  less  probably  by  the  result  of  the  day,  than 
by  the  general  state  of  the  upper  country,  and  the 
numbers  and  activity  of  the  American  light  troops. 
Conceiving  himself  unable  to  maintain  so  advanced  a 
position,  he  began  to  move  on  the  evening  of  the  9th, 
and   proceeded  down  to  Monk's  Corner,  where  he 
merely  covered  Charleston  and  its  vicinity.     To  this 
6* 


72  SERVICES    IN    THE    REVOLUTION. 

and  to  Savannah  were  now  limited  British  authority, 
which  had  lately  extended  so  widely  over  the  southern 
states. 

"  Thus,"  says  Ramsay,  "  ended  the  campaign  of 
1781,  in  South  Carolina.  At  its  commencement,  the 
British  were  in  force  over  all  the  state.  At  its  close, 
they  durst  not,  but  with  great  precaution,  venture 
twenty  miles  from  Charleston.  History  affords  but 
few  instances  of  commanders,  who  have  achieved  so 
much,  with  equal  means,  as  was  done  by  General 
Greene,  in  the  short  space  of  a  twelvemonth.  He 
opened  the  campaign  with  gloomy  prospects ;  but 
closed  it  with  glory.  His  unpaid  and  half-naked  army 
had  to  contend  with  veteran  soldiers,  supplied  with 
everything  that  the  wealth  of  Britain,  or  the  plunder  of 
Carolina  could  procure.  Under  all  these  disadvan 
tages,  he  compelled  superior  numbers  to  retire  from 
the  extremity  of  the  state,  and  confine  themselves  in 
the  capital  and  its  vicinity.  Had  not  his  mind  been 
of  the  firmest  texture,  he  would  have  been  discouraged; 
but  his  enemies  found  him  as  formidable  on  the  even 
ing  of  a  defeat  as  on  the  morning  after  a  victory." 

The  sketch  which  we  have  given  above  of  the 
southern  war,  will  serve  to  show  our  readers  the  op 
portunities  which  Andrew  Jackson  enjoyed  of  learning 
the  elements  of  the  military  art.  In  the  society  of 
such  men  as  Marion,  Sumpter,  and  Davic,  \\iih  the 
the  examples  before  him  of  Greene,  Lee,  Washington, 
and  Howard,  he  learnt  those  principles  of  strategy 
which  he  afterwards  reduced  to  practice  in  the  second 
war  with  England. 


Riding  the  circuit. 


CHAPTER     III. 
PROFESSIONAL  LIFE. 

N  the  decease  of  bis  brother  and  mo 
ther,  Andrew  Jackson  came  into 
possession  of  bis  paternal  estate, 
which,  though  far  from  rendering 
him  wealthy,  was  sufficiently  large 
to  support  him  in  a  moderate  style 
of  living,  and  to  enable  him  to  pur- 


74  PROFESSIONAL    LIFE. 

sue  his  studies*  Unused,  however,  to  economical  ma« 
nagement,  he  neglected  the  opportunity  thus  afforded 
for  accomplishing  his  mother's  design,  and  expended 
his  patrimony  without  regard  to  the  future.  His  di 
minished  resources,  however,  soon  warned  him  that 
his  own  exertions  must  be  his  reliance  for  support; 
and  he  continued  and  completed  his  classical  education, 
superintended  hy  Mr.  M'Cullock,  who  taught  a  school 
near  Hill's  Iron  Works.  His  enterprising  disposition, 
and  his  ambition  to  raise  himself  above  his  original 
situation,  led  him  to  abandon  the  intention  entertained 
by  his  mother,  and  turn  his  attention  to  the  law.  He 
commenced  his  legal  studies  near  the  close  of  his 
eighteenth  year,  at  Salisbury,  N.  C. ;  in  the  office  of 
Spruce  M'Kay,  Esq.,  who  afterwards  was  promoted 
to  the  bench.  They  were  completed  under  Colonel 
John  Stokes;  and  in  1786,  Jackson  received  his 
licence,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  the  law. 

The  le^al  business  in  the  Carolinas  was  at  this 

^ 

period  engrossed  by  old  practitioners ;  and  many  diffi 
culties  presented  themselves  to  the  young  beginner, 
unless  aided  by  the  influence  of  relations  and  friends. 
Destitute  of  these,  and  seeing  little  prospect  of  ad 
vancement  in  his  present  situation,  Jackson  determined 
to  proceed  to  the  western  country,  which  was  then 
beginning  to  attract  attention,  and  where  the  field  was 
yet  unoccupied.  Judge  M'Nairy  being  about  to 
proceed  to  the  western  part  of  the  states,  to  hold  a 
session  of  the  Supreme  Court,  he  resolved  to  accom 
pany  him.  They  left  North  Carolina  in  the  spring  of 
1788,  and  after  having  experienced  considerable  de 
tention  upon  their  journey,  arrived  at  Nashville  in 


SETTLES    AT    NASHVILLE.  75 

October.  He  found  the  community  in  a  situation 
which  rendered  his  arrival  a  most  fortunate  event. 
Many  of  the  younger  and  more  dissipated  of  the  set 
tlers  had  become  deeply  indebted  to  the  merchants 
and  tradesmen,  who  were  unable  to  obtain  legal  re 
dress,  because  the  debtors  had  secured  the  only  lawyer 
in  the  county  to  their  interest.  The  defrauded  cre 
ditors  hailed  Jackson  as  a  deliverer.  They  imme 
diately  beset  him  with  applications  for  his  services ; 
and  on  the  next  morning  after  his  arrival,  seventy  writs 
were  issued  against  defaulters.  His  professional  ca 
reer,  thus  auspiciously  commenced,  continued  to  be 
prosperous.  The  scoundrels  who  had  so  long  gone 
unpunished,  attempted  to  intimidate  him,  but  to  no 
purpose.  Shortly  after  his  emigration  to  the  west,  he 
was  appointed  by  the  governor  of  North  Carolina,  attor 
ney-general  for  the  western  district.  In  this  capacity, 
he  continued  the  same  course  of  practice  which  he  had 
commenced.  He  executed  the  laws  with  so  much  faith 
fulness,  that  his  life  was  more  than  once  endangered ; 
by  his  firmness  and  fearless  conduct,  however,  he 
awed  the  cowardly  ruffians  who  threatened  to  attack 
him,  and  brought  them  to  justice.  His  duties  as  pros 
ecuting  attorney,  obliged  him  frequently  to  cross  the 
wilderness  between  Jonesborough  and  Nashville,  a  dis 
tance  of  more  than  two  hundred  miles,  infested  with 
hostile  Indians.  Twenty-two  times  did  he  perform 
this  hazardous  journey,  with  no  other  companion  than 
his  horse  and  rifle.  His  efforts  were  rewarded  by  a 
lucrative  practice,  and  an  almost  unbounded  popu 
larity  ;  which  was  evinced  at  every  opportunity,  by 
his  elevation  to  offices  of  honourable  trust. 


76  PROFESSIONAL    LIFE. 

In  1791,  Jackson  married  the  wife  who  absorbed 
his  every  affection  while  living,  whose  loss  was  the 
greatest  sorrow  of  his  life,  and  whose  memory  he 
ever  cherished  with  undiminished  devotion.  Circum 
stances  which  attended  this  union  have  been  mis 
construed  to  his  disadvantage;  but  a  recital  of  the 
facts  will  convince  every  reasonable  reader  of  the 
purity  of  his  motives,  the  generosity  of  his  nature,  and 
the  entire  propriety  of  his  conduct.  The  object  of  his 
choice  was  the  daughter  of  Colonel  John  Donelson, 
who  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  whence  he  emigrated  to 
Kentucky.  During  his  residence  in  that  state,  Lewis 
Robards,  whose  family  resided  in  the  vicinity  of  Har- 
rodsburg,  visited  his  family,  and  succeeded  in  gaining 
the  affections  of  his  daughter  Rachel.  With  the  con- 

c5 

sent  of  her  father,  they  were  united,  and  lived  at  first 
in  apparent  happiness.  Some  time  after  their  mar 
riage,  Colonel  Donelson  removed  to  Tennessee,  and 
settled  near  Nashville,  where  he  afterwards  died.  Here 
Jackson  became  acquainted  with  his  widow,  and  there 
being  no  regular  public-houses  in  the  settlement,  he 
and  his  intimate  friend,  Mr.  Overtin,  boarded  with 
Mrs.  Donelson.  Meanwhile,  Mrs.  Robards,  who  had 
been  celebrated  for  her  personal,  mental,  and  moral 
qualities,  had  unfortunately  become  the  object  of  her 
husband's  jealousy.  The  latter  appears  to  have  been 
of  a  totally  different  character  and  disposition,  and 
unable  to  appreciate  the  inestimable  treasure  he  pos 
sessed  in  his  amiable  consort.  Her  hospitable  and 
convivial  disposition  ill  accorded  with  his  sullen  and 
selfish  temper.  He  was  unwilling  to  permit  his  wife's 
virtues  to  benefit  any  but  himself,  and  he  was  too  much 


MEETS    MRS.    ROBARDS.  77 

given  to  depraved  pleasures  to  cherish  them  as  he 
ought.  The  guilt  which  his  conscience  told  him  rested 
on  his  soul,  his  imagination  ascribed  to  her ;  and  all 
her  exertions  to  dispel  his  unjust  suspicions  were  vain. 
She  endeavoured,  but  vainly,  to  persuade  his  poisoned 
mind  of  her  purity  and  undiminished  affection.  He 
would  not  credit  her  repeated  declarations,  and  refused 
to  live  with  her*  They  had  been  residing  with  his 
mother,  who  was  a  widow,  since  the  emigration  of 
Colonel  Donelson  to  Kentucky,  The  mother-in-law 
was  convinced  of  the  innocence  of  the  injured  wife ; 
but  Robards  refused  to  believe,  and  Rachel  was  obliged 
to  return  to  her  parents.  Parents  ! — alas — her  father 
had  ended  his  course  in  the  humble  log-cabin  at  Nash 
ville,  and  to  her  widowed  mother  she  brought  her  sor- 

"  o 

rowing  heart,  and  that  kindness  which  had  smoothed 
her  couch  in  infancy,  was  again  exerted  to  heal  the 
wound  which  had  been  so  causelessly  inflicted.  At  her 
mother's  dwelling  she  first  met  Andrew  Jackson.  Her 
personal  loveliness,  intellectual  accomplishments,  and 
moral  wrorth— and  above  all,  her  unmerited  sufferings, 
awakened  in  the  bosom  of  our  hero,  sentiments  of  the 
purest  admiration  and  respect :  but  his  feelings  pro 
ceeded  not  beyond  the  limit  of  the  most  scrupulous 
propriety.  It  is  probable,  indeed,  the  known  gallantry 
of  his  nature  forbids  a  doubt,  that  he  used  every  means 
in  his  power  to  render  less  irksome  her  painful  situa 
tion,  and  to  banish  from  her  mind  the  recollection  of 
the  past :  but  it  has  never  been  said,  on  respectable 
authority,  and  it  cannot  be  supposed  that  his  attentions 
to  Mrs.  Robards  partook  of  aught  save  the  respect 
and  consideration  due  to  her  merit.  After  Robards 


78  PROFESSIONAL    LIFE. 

had  separated  from  his  wife,  Mr.  Overtin  formed  an 
acquaintance  with  his  family,  and  was  delighted  to 
discover  that  the  husband's  heart  had  at  last  relented, 
and  that  he  repented  his  conduct  towards  his  partner. 
Through  his  mediation,  a  reconciliation  was  effected 
between  them;  and  Robards  came  to  Nashville,  in 
tending  to  reside  with  his  mother-in-law,  until  a  cabin 
which  was  in  course  of  erection  for  him,  should  be 
completed.  His  arrival  produced  no  change  in  the 
deportment  of  Jackson,  who,  unconscious  of  any  impure 
motive,  or  improper  action,  entertained  no  suspicion 
that  his  conduct  would  be  considered  objectionable  by 
Robards.  The  latter,  however,  who  appears  to  have 
had  no  conception  of  friendship  without  passion,  had 
no  sooner  seen  the  friendly  intercourse  of  Jackson  and 
Mrs.  Robards,  than  all  his  old  suspicions  were  reawa 
kened.  Notwithstanding  this,  he  made  no  avowal  of 
his  displeasure  to  Jackson;  and  his  unfortunate  wife 
and  mother-in-law  suffered  alone  the  effects  of  his 
evil  passions.  The  facts  having  come  to  the  know 
ledge  of  the  innocent  cause  of  the  jealousy  of  Robards, 
he  immediately  assured  him  that  his  suspicions  were 
unfounded.  Failing  to  persuade  him  of  this,  Jackson 
removed  to  Mansker's  Station ;  but  his  departure  pro 
duced  no  alteration  in  Robards'  sentiments.  The  lat 
ter  soon  left  his  wife,  avowing  to  others  his  determi 
nation  never  to  return.  He  proceeded  to  Kentucky, 
ajid  no  further  communication  was  had  with  him  by 
Mrs.  Robards ;  but  sometime  subsequent  to  his  depar 
ture,  she  was  informed  that  he  contemplated  a  journey 
to  Tennessee  for  the  purpose  of  compelling  her  to  re 
turn  with  him  to  his  dwelling  in  Kentucky.  To  avoid 


JACKSON'S    MARRIAGE.  79 

this  was  an  object  of  great  importance  to  her  friends, 
and  it  was  therefore  arranged  that  she  should  proceed 
to  Natchez,  in  company  with  Colonel  Stark.  The 
colonel,  who  was  accompanied  by  his  family,  and  was, 
moreover,  advanced  in  years,  requested  Andrew  Jack 
son  to  join  his  party.  This  step,  the  dangers  of  the 
navigation,  the  liability  to  attack  by  the  Indians,  and 
his  own  age,  combined  to  render  advisable.  In  a  short 
time  after  Mrs.  Robards'  journey  to  Natchez,  intelli 
gence  reached  Nashville,  that  a  petition  for  divorce, 
which  her  husband  was  known  to  have  presented,  had 
been  granted  by  the  legislature  of  Virginia.  All  ob 
stacles  to  their  intercourse  being  thus  removed,  Jack 
son  determined  to  pay  his  addresses  to  her,  with  the 
view  of  obtaining  her  hand.  To  this  course  he  was 
prompted  by  his  knowledge  and  admiration  of  her 
character,  his  sympathy  for  her  wrongs,  and  the  feel 
ing  that  he  had  been  in  some  measure,  though  invo 
luntarily,  the  cause  of  them.  He  went  to  Natchez  in 
the  summer  of  1791,  to  lay  his  heart  at  her  feet;  and 
in  the  autumn,  Rachel  Jackson  assumed  her  station 
at  the  head  of  the  household  of  him  of  whose  heart 
she  may  well  be  called  the  idol  Their  union  pro 
duced  great  joy  among  the  numerous  friends  of  both 
parties,  and  the  happy  experience  of  subsequent  years 
demonstrated  the  wisdom  of  their  choice.  Two  years 
after  his  marriage  the  fact  came  first  to  the  knowledge 
of  Jackson,  that  the  information  received  by  him  re 
lative  to  the  divorce  of  Robards  was  incorrect ;  that 
the  legislature  had  only  authorized  the  institution  of 
proceedings  in  a  court  of  Kentucky ;  that  the  divorce 
had  been  but  recently  decreed  by  that  court ;  and  that 
7 


$0  PROFESSIONAL    LIFE. 

consequently  Mrs.  Robards  was  actually  another  man's 
wife  when  he  married  her.  No  sooner  had  he  learnt 
the  true  state  of  the  case,  than  he  hastened  to  obtain 
a  license,  and  the  marriage  ceremony  was  again  per 
formed  in  January,  1794. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

INDIAN    WAR  — LEGISLATIVE   AND   JUDICIAL 
LIFE. 


FIE  period  at  which  we 
have  now  arrived,  was 
signalized  by  frequent 
attacks  of  the  Indians, 
who  sometimes  com 
mitted  fearful  ravages 
upon  the  more  exposed 
settlements  of  the  west 
ern  frontiers.  This 
constant  liability  to  at- 
ll 


82  LEGISLATIVE   AND   JUDICIAL    LIFE. 

tack,  had  the  effect  of  rendering  every  man  a  sol 
dier,  as  all  were  obliged  to  take  the  field  in  defence 
of  their  families  and  homes.  The  military  talents 
displayed  by  Jackson  in  these  frontier  wars,  soon 
gained  for  him  a  wide  spread  reputation,  and  paved 
the  way  for  his  subsequent  advancement.  Always 
cool,  determined  and  fearless,  he  soon  became  known 
to  enemies  as  well  as  friends,  and  the  title  of  Long 
Knife,  and  Sharp  Arrow,  by  which  the  Indians  desig 
nated  him,  are  convincing  proofs  of  the  estimation 
in  which  his  prowess  was  held  by  them.  Conspicuous 
for  his  bravery  and  ability  in  the  field,  and  admired 
for  his  legal  attainments,  he  became  a  general  favour 
ite  with  his  fellow  citizens. 

In  the  same  year  he  received  a  more  distinguished 
proof  of  their  regard,  in  his  election  to  the  national 
legislature.  His  conduct  in  the  house  of  represen 
tatives  was  characterized  by  a  warm  zeal  for  the  pub 
lic  interest,  especially  for  that  of  his  own  state ;  and  a 
consistent  adherence  to  the  doctrines  of  the  republican 
party,  then  in  a  minority  in  Congress.  In  1797,  his 
conduct  received  the  marked  approval  of  the  legisla 
ture  of  Tennessee,  who  gratified  the  popular  will  by 
raising  him  to  a  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate. 
He  took  his  seat  in  that  august  body  on  the  22d  of 
November.  He  was  present,  and  voted  with  the  re 
publican  or  democratic  party  upon  the  alien  law  and 
the  stamp  question  ;  but  being  obliged  by  private  busi 
ness  to  avail  himself  of  a  leave  of  absence,  in  the 
month  of  April,  he  was  deprived  of  the  opportunity  of 
recording  his  name  in  opposition  to  the  sedition  law, 
which  passed  the  Senate  in  July,  1798. 


ACQUAINTANCE    WITH    MR.   LIVINGSTON      83 

Jackson's  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Livingston  com 
menced  at  this  time.  It  is  thus  noticed  by  a  contem 
porary. 

"It  was  while  Livingston  was  in  Congress,  that 
was  formed  that  intimate  friendship  between  him  and 
Andrew  Jackson,  which  lasted  for  nearly  half  a  cen 
tury.  Jackson  at  that  period  represented  in  his  single 
person,  the  state  of  Tennessee,  which,  at  the  present 
day  sends  twelve  members  to  the  House  of  Represen 
tatives.  Never  were  two  natures  more  totally  unlike 
attracted  toward  each  other,  by  those  inexplicable 
sympathies,  which  often  link  men  the  more  closely  to 
gether  by  reason  of  the  very  causes  which  would  seem 
to  tend  to  create  a  reciprocal  repulsion.  The  one  of 
a  contemplative  spirit,  speculative,  endowed  with  a 
great  power  of  analysis,  but  judging  slowly — studying 
man,  but  from  his  studious  habits,  mingling  but  rarely 
among  their  masses,  and  then  rather  in  their  state  of 
aggregation  than  in  the  isolated  individual — born  of 
an  opulent  family,  and  educated  in  the  midst  of  the 
most  polished  society  of  the  country,  and  among  some 
of  the  most  distinguished  men  in  France — fond  of  the 
arts,  and  of  letters,  having  cultivated  with  equal  zeal 
that  science  which  gives  force  and  accuracy  to  thought, 
and  that  polite  literature  which  teaches  to  clothe  it  in 
the  forms  that  adorn  its  manifestations  to  the  minds 
of  others. 

"  The  other,  sprung  from  the  ranks  of  the  democra 
cy  in  the  broadest  sense  in  the  world — owing  to  him 
self,  and  himself  alone,  both  his  education  and  his  for 
tune — having  encountered  nothing  but  obstacles  in  his 
path ;  owing  to  the  people  alone  his  advancement,  and 


84  LEGISLATIVE    AND    JUDICIAL    LIFE. 

cherishing  a  perpetual  remembrance  of  their  generous 
patronage;  marching  straight  up  to  difficulty,  and 
trampling  it  under  foot,  without  even  turning  it — in 
all  that  regards  science  and  letters  having  had  leisure 
only  to  study  elementary  books,  but  profoundly  versed 
in  all  relating  to  our  civil  institutions,  and  to  the  men 
who  founded  them,  as  well  as  to  that  part  of  the  Eng 
lish  jurisprudence,  the  Common  Law,  which  connects 
itself  with  our  institutions,  as  with  those  of  Great  Bri 
tain — with  a  will  of  iron,  and  indefatigable  ardor,  and 
unequalled  promptness  in  seizing  the  point  of  a  discus 
sion,  with  a  rustic  eloquence  that  sought  its  images 
amid  the  objects  of  nature,  and  found  its  inspiration 
in  a  soul  enthusiastic  for  the  noble  and  the  grand — in 
war,  possessing  that  rapid  eye  which  makes  the  great 
general,  with  that  faculty  of  electrifying  the  soldier,  of 
quickening  to  a  fanatacism,  the  love  of  his  country 
within  his  heart ;  while,  with  the  enemy,  no  compro 
mise,  speaking  of  him  as  though  never  was  there  to 
be  peace  or  truce  with  him — neglecting  no  detail,  no 
precaution,  scarcely  ever  sleeping  but  in  day-time — 
never  despising  his  enemy,  but  supposing  him  always 
to  possess  an  equal  capacity  with  his  own — fearing 
no  responsibility,  but  trusting  ever  implicitly  in  the 
generous  indulgence  of  the  people  toward  those  who 
have  sprung  from  its  own  ranks,  and  in  whom  it  does 
not  suspect  the  possibility  of  treachery  to  its  cause — 
4  having,'  to  quote  the  language  of  Jefferson,  '  more 
of  the  Roman  in  his  heart  and  in  his  soul,  than  any 
other  man  of  modern  times.' 

"This  high  and  bold  spirit  exercised  upon  me,  from 
the  first  interview,  the  power  of  an  irresistible  spell. 


ELECTED   COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.  85 

I  loved  to  hear  him  relate  to  me,  the  struggles  of  his 
youth  with  poverty  and  ignorance ;  his  childish  and 
patriotic  delight  on  the  day  when,  like  a  young  cour 
ser,  he  bounded  into  the  forest,  rifle  in  hand,  to  seek 
the  continental  troops  encamped  on  the  eve  of  the  first 
battle  in  which  he  felt  the  movement  of  his  warlike  in 
stinct.  In  Congress  he  spoke  but  rarely ;  but  when 
he  did  rise,  shaking  his  upright  hair,  and  surveying 
the  assembly  with  his  eagle  glance,  the  most  profound 
silence  reigned  throughout  it. 

"  I  had  once  the  opportunity  of  hearing  Jackson 
speak  of  the  origin  of  his  intimacy  with  Livingston. 
4 1  felt  myself  suddenly  attracted  toward  him,'  he 
said,  '  by  the  gentleness  of  his  manners ;  the  charm 
of  his  conversation,  gay  without  frivolity,  instructive 
without  the  ostentation  of  instructing  ;  by  the  pro 
found  acquaintance  he  already  possessed  with  the  theo 
ries  of  society,  and  of  the  laws,  in  their  relation  to  the 
characters  of  nations ;  by  his  unlimited  confidence  in 
the  sagacity  of  the  people,  and  of  their  capability  of 
self-government,  through  the  agency  of  representatives 
specially  instructed  to  express  the  opinion  of  their 
constituents  on  great  questions  of  general  interest, 
still  more  than  on  those  of  local  concern ;  and  above 
all,  by  that  lovely  and  holy  philanthropy,  which  im 
pelled  him  from  his  youth  to  mitigate  the  severity  of 
those  penal  laws,  whose  cruelties  serve  only  to  inspire 
in  the  masses  a  ferocity  that  always  obtains  an  equili 
brium  with  that  of  the  laws  which  govern  them.'  ' 

Shortly  after  the  election  of  Jackson  to  the  senate, 
Major-General  Conway,  command er-in-chief  of  the 

*  Democratic  Review. 


86   ,         LEGISLATIVE   AND   JUDICIAL  LIFE. 

militia  of  Tennessee,  died.  The  field  officers,  with 
great  unanimity,  chose  Andrew  Jackson  as  his  suc 
cessor.  This  office  he  held  until  he  was  appointed  a 
major-general  in  the  army  of  the  United  States. 

In  1799,  weary  of  the  contentions  and  intrigues  of 
political  life,  and  desirous  of  giving  place  to  General 
Smith,  who  possessed  eminent  qualifications  for  the 
legislative  office,  General  Jackson  resigned  his  seat  in 
the  Senate.  He  purchased  a  beautiful  estate  on  the 
Cumberland  river,  about  ten  miles  from  Nashville, 
where  he  established  his  residence.  At  this  delightful 
retreat,  blessed  with  a  gifted  and  affectionate  com 
panion,  and  a  large  and  valued  circle  of  friends,  he 
designed  to  pass  his  future  life.  But  his  many  public 
services  had  brought  to  light  his  eminent  talents  and 
devoted  patriotism,  and  such  a  man  could  not  be  per 
mitted  to  remain  inactive.  "His  services  were  too 
important  to  be  lost,  and  he  was  appointed  to  preside 
over  the  Supreme  Court  of  law  and  equity  in  the  state 
of  Tennessee.  An  allusion  to  one  or  two  incidents 
which  marked  the  rough  times  in  which  he  was  called 

o 

to  the  administration  of  the  public  justice,  may  not  be 
inappropriate.  They  will  give  the  '  form  and  pres 
sure'  of  those  times,  and  serve  to  illustrate  the  identity 
of  the  man  of  thirty  with  the  boy  of  the  Revolution. 
An  individual  had  been  indicted  and  was  for  trial.  He 
was  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  court  house,  but 
such  was  the  strength  and  ferocity  of  the  man,  that 
the  sheriff,  not  daring  to  approach  him,  made  a  return 
'  that  Russell  Bean  will  not  be  taken.'  '  He  must 
be  taken,'  said  the  judge,  4  and  if  necessary,  you  must 
summon  the  body  of  the  county  to  your  aid.'  The 


FIRMNESS    OF    JACKSON.  89 

officer  retired,  awaited  the  adjournment  of  the  court, 
and  summoned  the  judges  themselves.  Judge  Jackson 
replied,  '  Yes,  sir,  I  will  attend  you,  and  see  that  you 
do  your  duty.'  Learning  that  Bean  was  armed,  he 
requested  a  loaded  pistol,  which  was  placed  in  his  hand. 
He  then  said  to  the  sheriff,  '  Advance  and  arrest  him. 
I  will  protect  you  from  harm.'  Bean,  armed  with  a 
dirk  and  brace  of  pistols,  assumed  an  attitude  of  defi 
ance  and  desperation.  But  as  the  judge  advanced 
upon  him,  he  began  to  retreat.  '  Stop,  and  obey  the 
law,'  cried  the  intrepid  magistrate.  The  desperate  man 
paused,  threw  down  his  weapons,  and  exclaimed,  '  I 
will  surrender  to  you,  sir,  but  to  no  one  else !' 

"  On  another  occasion,  in  consequence  of  his  hav 
ing  exposed  to  the  general  government  extensive  land 
frauds  perpetrated  in  Tennessee,  Judge  Jackson  had 
concentrated  upon  himself  the  hostility  of  a  powerful 
and  influential  body  of  men  implicated  in  those  frauds. 
To  such  height  had  their  enmity  risen,  that  an  at 
tempt  was  made  to  mob  him  on  his  way  to  hold  a 
court.  Intelligence  of  the  meditated  assault  had  the 
effect  simply  of  speeding  his  movements  to  the  scene 
of  contemplated  outrage.  On  his  arrival,  labouring 
under  severe  indisposition,  he  sought  the  retirement 
of  his  chamber.  A  friend  called,  and  informing  him 
that  a  regiment  of  men,  headed  by  a  Colonel  Harri 
son,  had  collected  in  front  of  the  house  with  a  view  to 
carry  their  threat  into  execution,  advised  him  to  se 
cure  his  door.  Judge  Jackson  immediately  threw  it 
open,  and  exclaimed,  '  Give  my  compliments  to  Colo 
nel  Harrison,  and  tell  him  that  my  door  is  open  to 
receive  him  and  his  regiment  when  they  choose  to 
12 


90  LEGISLATIVE    AND    JUDICIAL    LIFE. 

wait  upon  me,  and  I  hope  that  the  chivalry  of  the  co 
lonel  will  induce  him  to  lead,  not  follow  his  men.'  It  is 
needless  to  add,  that  the  fury  of  the  mob  quailed  be 
fore  the  intrepidity  of  the  man."* 

In  1804,  his  love  for  private  life  led  him  to  resign 
his  seat  on  the  bench,  much  against  the  wishes  of  his 
friends  and  fellow-citizens.  He  returned  to  his  estate 
on  the  Cumberland,  where,  possessed  of  sufficient  pro 
perty  to  render  the  practice  of  his  profession  unneces 
sary,  he  enjoyed  a  large  share  of  domestic  felicity.  A 
favourite  pursuit  of  his  was  the  rearing  of  horses.  He 
succeeded  in  greatly  improving  the  breed  of  the  coun 
try,  and  became  celebrated  for  the  excellence  of  his 
stables.  He  frequently  brought  his  horses  into  com 
petition  for  the  honours  of  the  turf,  and  their  perfor 
mances  failed  not  to  do  credit  to  his  skill.  On  one 
of  these  occasions,  a  difficulty  arose  between  him  and 
a  man  named  Charles  Dickinson,  on  the  score  of  a 
wager  lost  by  the  latter.  By  the  interference  of  per 
sons  hostile  to  General  Jackson,  an  amicable  settle 
ment  of  the  dispute  was  prevented ;  and  Dickinson, 
having  publicly  charged  Jackson  with  cowardice,  the 
general  sent  him  a  challenge.  This  act  of  itself  dis 
proved  the  dishonourable  imputation,  as  Dickinson  was 
reputed  to  be  the  best  marksman  in  Tennessee.  They 
met;  Dickinson  confident  of  killing  his  antagonist, 
and  Jackson  expecting  to  sacrifice  his  life  to  his  ho 
nour.  Dickinson  fired  first;  the  dust  was  seen  to  rise 
from  the  clothing  of  Jackson ;  but  he  returned  the  fire 
with  fatal  precision.  His  opponent  fell,  mortally 

*  McAllister's  Eulogy. 


ACQUAINTANCE  WITH    BURR.  91 

wounded.  The  general  proceeded  on  horseback  twen 
ty  miles,  accompanied  by  his  surgeon :  arid  it  was  not 
until  they  had  reached  their  destination  that  the  sur 
geon  discovered,  by  the  blood  upon  his  clothes,  that  his 
friend  had  been  shot  through  the  arm,  the  ball  lodg 
ing  in  his  body,  and  shattering  two  of  his  ribs.  His 
astonishing  self-command  appeared  almost  superhu 
man  to  his  friends  who  witnessed  the  scene ;  to  one  of 
whom  he  declared,  that  so  fixed  was  his  resolution, 
that  he  should  have  killed  his  antagonist,  had  he  him 
self  been  shot  through  the  brain !  The  wounds  re 
ceived  in  this  affair  confined  General  Jackson  for 
some  time  to  his  house.  Having  anticipated  slightly 
in  the  preceding  relation,  we  will  now  return  to  the 
regular  course  of  our  history.* 

While  Jackson  was  a  member  of  the  Senate,  he 
became  acquainted  with  Aaron  Burr,  afterwards  V  ice- 
President  of  the  United  States.  In  1805,  George 
Clinton  was  elected  to  supersede  Burr ;  and  the  latter 
started  on  a  tour  through  the  Western  States.  He 
twice  visited  General  Jackson,  to  whom  he  declared 
that  he  wished  to  settle  a  tract  of  country  in  which 
he  had  an  interest,  in  the  recently  purchased  territory 
of  Louisiana ;  but  that  the  Spaniards  were  notoriously 
disaffected,  and  being  collected  on  the  Sabine  in  con 
siderable  force,  they  maintained  a  threatening  attitude 
towards  the  United  States.  He  further  stated  that  in 
case  of  a  war  between  Spain  and  the  United  States, 
he  was  authorized  by  the  President  to  make  arrange 
ments  for  the  invasion  and  conquest  of  Mexico.  The 
people  of  the  western  country,  and  among  them  Gen 
eral  Jackson,  were  eager  for  a  brush  with  the  Spa 

*  Lnter  in  lift.  Jackson's  segments  on  dueHh{?  were  entirely  changed,  und  he  felt  it  hit  duty 
t..  d.is«i,|ir,,\c  iu:d  discoiiraje  tl:e  ;  met  ce. 


92  LEGISLATIVE   AND   JUDICIAL    LIFE. 

niards,  and  entered  with  alacrity  into  the  views  of 
Burr. 

In  1806,  Burr  again  returned  to  Tennessee,  and 
commenced  preparations  for  an  extensive  expedition, 
building  boats,  and  engaging  men  to  go  with  him  to 
settle  in  Louisiana  and  make  ready  for  the  expected 
war  with  Spain.  In  the  meantime,  suspicions  began 
to  be  entertained  with  regard  to  his  objects,  and  the 
United  States  district  attorney  in  Kentucky  proposed 
to  indict  him  for  organizing  an  unlawful  military  ex 
pedition.  When  the  case  was  submitted  to  the  grand 
jury,  they  declared  that  there  was  no  evidence  tending 
in  the  smallest  degree  to  criminate  him. 

Meanwhile  General  Jackson  received  a  private 
communication,  which  led  him  to  believe  that  Burr 
was  chief  of  an  extensive  conspiracy  having  for  its 
object  the  dismemberment  of  the  union,  by  separating 
the  Western  States  with  Louisiana  from  the  others, 
and  erecting  them  into  an  independent  government. 
Jackson  immediately  communicated  his  suspicions  to 
Governor  Claiborne,  at  New  Orleans,  and  to  the  se 
nators  and  representatives  of  Tennessee  in  Congress. 
He  also  wrote  to  Burr,  saying  that  he  had  received 
such  information,  and  if  he  had  any  treasonable  de 
signs  against  the  United  States  he  could  hold  no  fur 
ther  communication  with  him.  Colonel  Burr  imme 
diately  disavowed  any  such  intention,  in  the  most 
positive  terms,  and  said  that  any  person  who  could 
think  that  he  intended  the  project  must  deem  him  a 
madman.  This  did  not  quiet  Jackson's  suspicions. 
All  intercourse  between  him  and  Burr  ceased. 

When  Burr  returned  to  Tennessee  in  December, 


BURR'S    CONSPIRACY.  93 

he  found  public  opinion  turned  against  him,  and  on 
the  22d  of  that  month,  he  commenced  his  voyage 
down  the  Cumberland  with  ten  boats,  without  ammu 
nition,  and  with  only  men  enough  to  work  the  boats. 
Scarcely  had  he  gone,  when  Jefferson's  proclamation, 
denouncing  Burr's  designs,  and  calling  on  all  good 
citizens  to  aid  in  his  arrest,  arrived,  by  a  special 
messenger,  writh  instructions  to  the  civil  and  military 
authorities,  enjoining  them  to  make  use  of  such  force 
as  might  be  necessary  to  suppress  the  conspiracy  and 
arrest  the  leader. 

General  Jackson  immediately  despatched  an  ex 
press  down  the  Cumberland,  to  watch  Burr's  move 
ments,  and  ordered  out  twelve  companies  of  his  com 
mand.  The  express  hastened  to  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  where  he  ascertained  that  Burr,  with  ten  boats 
and  six  men  unarmed  in  each,  had  proceeded  peace 
fully  down  the  Ohio.  The  general  dismissed  his  men, 
and  reported  his  proceedings  to  the  government. 

Colonel  Burr  descended  the  Mississippi  to  the  Mis 
sissippi  Territory,  when,  finding  himself  intercepted 
by  the  agents  of  the  government,  he  quietly  surrendered 
himself  to  the  civil  authorities,  by  whom  he  was  sent 
to  Richmond,  Virginia,  for  trial.  He  was  tried  on  a 
charge  of  treason  and  acquitted.  He  retired  to  pri 
vate  life,  and  never  made  known  his  real  designs.  He 
always  entertained  the  greatest  respect  for  General 
Jackson,  and  spoke  of  him  as  a  man  of  the  strictest 
integrity  and  honour. 

"The  history  of  Tennessee  at  this  time,"  says  Flint, 
"  is  little  more  than  a  dreary  chronicle  of  Indian  mas 
sacres.  Many  of  these  narratives,  related  apart, 
8 


94  LEGISLATIVE    AND   JUDICIAL    LIFE. 

would  possess  a  harrowing  interest.  Grouped  to 
gether,  they  occur  in  such  numbers,  and  with  such 
uniform  circumstances  of  atrocity  and  barbarity,  that 
they  lose  their  interest  in  the  confusion  of  the  mass. 
No  less  than  thirty  murders  of  individuals,  or  of  whole 
families,  occurred  within  three  years  after  the  setting 
up  the  federal  government.  To  a  person  travelling 
through  this  fine  and  populous  country,  where  there 
is  now  no  more  apprehension  from  Indians,  than  in 
the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia,  it  seems-  almost  incredible 
that  such  scenes  should  have  occurred  in  the  vicinity 
of  Nashville,  so  late  as  1796. 

"  The  most  conspicuous  characters  among  the  In 
dian  chiefs,  were  Double  Head,  Hanging  Maw,  Bloody 
Fellow,  Mad-Dog,  and  other  chiefs,  with  equally  ter 
rible  names;  and  Bowles,  Watts,  and  M'Gillivray, 
whites,  who  had  become  chiefs  among  them.  Pio- 
mingo,  a  Chickasaw  chief,  is  often  mentioned  in  the 
annals  of  these  times,  as  having  been  uniformly  friend 
ly  to  the  Americans. 

"  The  last  severe  lesson  taught  these  people  by  the 
Americans,  previous  to  the  inflictions  of  General  Jack 
son,  by  which  they  were  completely  and  finally  sub 
dued,  was  at  Nickajack,  in  1794.  An  expedition,  in 
which  Andrew  Jackson  took  a  part,  was  fitted  out 
against  this  town  from  Tennessee.  It  had  been  a 
central  point,  whence  the  war  parties  had  proceeded. 
The  American  force  was  sufficient  to  look  down  op 
position.  The  town  was  large  and  populous.  The 
inhabitants  attempted  to  escape  in  their  canoes  across 
the  river,  on  which  their  town  is  built.  The  troops 
opened  a  deadly  fire  upon  the  canoes.  Some  were 


INDIAN    BARBARITIES.  95 

killed,  and  some  leapt  into  the  water  and  attempting 
to  escape  by  swimming  were  killed  before  they  were 
out  of  the  reach  of  the  guns.  Some  women  and  chil 
dren  were  taken  prisoners,  fifty-five  warriors  were 
slain,  and  that  town  and  another  reduced  to  ashes. 
In  Nickajack  were  found  fresh  scalps  taken  at  Cumber 
land,  and  a  quantity  of  powder  and  lead  just  received 
from  the  Spanish  government,  and  a  commission  to 
Breath,  a  chief  of  that  town,  who  was  killed  in  the  ac 
tion.  This  severe  chastisement,  with  other  events 
that  soon  occurred,  broke  the  spirits  of  the  Cherokees. 
"  Among  the  murders  that  still  continued  to  occur, 
we  select  the  following  as  a  fair  sample  of  the  desperate 
character  of  the  conflicts  between  the  Indians  and 
Americans.  We  may  infer  that  similar  resistance 
took  place  in  almost  every  case  of  the  almost  number 
less  assaults  and  murders  in  these  border  wars.  On 
the  27th  of  January,  a  party  of  Indians  killed  George 
Mason,  on  Flat  Creek,  about  twelve  miles  from  Knox- 
ville.  During  the  night  he  heard  a  noise  at  his  stable, 
and  he  stepped  out  to  ascertain  the  cause ;  and  the 
Indians  coming  in  between  him  and  the  door,  inter 
cepted  his  return.  He  fled,  but  was  fired  upon  and 
wounded.  He  reached  a  cave  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  his  house,  out  of  which,  already  weltering  in  his 
blood,  he  was  dragged  and  murdered.  Having  finished 
this  business,  they  returned  to  the  house  to  despatch 
his  wife  and  children :  Mrs.  Mason,  unconscious  of 
the  fate  of  her  husband,  heard  them  talking  to  each 
other  as  they  approached  the  house.  At  first  she  was 
delighted  with  the  hope  that  her  neighbours,  aroused 
by  the  firing,  had  come  to  her  assistance.  But  under 


96  LEGISLATIVE    AND    JUDICIAL   LIFE. 

standing  English  and  German,  the  language  of  her 
neighbours,  and  perceiving  that  the  conversation  was 
in  neither  of  these  tongues,  she  instantly  inferred  that 
they  were  savages  coming  to  attack  the  house.  This 
heroine  had  that  very  morning  learned  how  the  double 
trigger  of  a  rifle  was  set.  Fortunately  the  children 
were  not  awakened  by  the  firing ;  and  she  took  good 
care  not  to  disturb  them.  She  shut  the  door,  and 
barred  it  with  benches  and  tables ;  and  took  down  the 
well  charged  rifle  of  her  husband.  She  placed  herself 
directly  opposite  the  opening  which  would  be  made 
by  forcing  the  door.  Her  husband  came  not,  and  she 
was  but  too  well  aware  that  he  was  slain.  She  was 
alone  in  the  darkness.  The  yelling  savages  were  with 
out,  pressing  upon  the  house.  She  took  counsel  from 
her  own  magnanimity,  heightened  by  affection  for  her 
children,  sleeping  unconsciously  around  her.  The  In 
dians  pushing  with  great  violence,  gradually  opened 
the  door  sufficiently  wide  to  attempt  an  entrance.  The 
body  of  one  was  thrust  into  the  opening,  and  just  filled 
it.  He  was  struggling  for  admittance.  Two  or  three 
more,  directly  behind  him,  were  propelling  him  for 
ward.  She  set  the  trigger  of  the  rifle,  put  the  muzzle 
near  the  body  of  the  foremost,  and  in  a  direction  that 
the  ball,  after  passing  through  his  body,  would  pene 
trate  those  behind.  She  fired.  The  first  Indian  fell. 
The  next  one  uttered  the  scream  of  mortal  agony. 
This  intrepid  woman  saw  the  necessity  of  profound 
silence.  She  observed  it.  The  Indians  in  conse 
quence  were  led  to  believe  that  armed  men  were  in 
the  house.  They  withdrew  from  the  house,  took  three 
horses  from  the  stable,  and  set  it  on  fire.  It  was  after- 


TENNESSEE    ENTERS    THE    UNION.  97 

wards  ascertained  that  this  high-minded  woman  had 
saved  herself  and  children  from  the  attack  of  twenty- 
five  assailants." 

This  incident  will  serve  as  a  specimen  of  the  hor 
rors  to  which  the  inhabitants  of  Tennessee  were 
subjected,  even  at  so  recent  a  period  as  1796.  In  all 
the  perilous  expeditions  which  were  undertaken  for 
the  protection  oC  the  frontier  in  his  neighbourhood 
from  the  savage  enemy,  Jackson  bore  his  full  share. 

In  1796,  the  territory  of  Tennessee  was  erected 
into  a  state,  and  the  people  seized  the  earliest  oppor 
tunity  afforded  them  at  a  popular  election,  to  manifest 
their  confidence  in  Andrew  Jackson,  and  to  secure  to 
themselves  the  benefit  of  his  judgment  and  counsel. 
He  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  convention,  assem 
bled  to  frame  the  republican  constitution  of  the  state, 
assumed  the  duties  of  the  office,  and  entered  upon  its 
discharge  with  conscientious  respect  for  its  responsi 
bilities,  and  a  deep  anxiety  firmly  to  establish  those 
fundamental  principles  which  are  embraced  in  the 
comprehensive  expression  of  the  "  rights  of  man." 
The  constitution  which  was  established,  asserts  among 
its  provisions  two  great  and  leading  propositions, 
which  he  always  defended  as  maxims,  and  followed  as 
the  guides  of  his  political  life — the  inherent,  indefeasi 
ble,  and  uncontrollable  sovereignty  of  the  people,  and 
the  injustice  and  enormity  of  perpetuities  and  mono 
polies — those  insiduous  and  cruel  instrumentalities  by 
which  the  prosperity  of  the  many  has  been  subjugated 
to  the  unjust  advancement  of  the  few — the  bane  of 
peace,  and  of  all  private,  and  therefore  of  all  national 
prosperity. 

13  8* 


98 


LEGISLATIVE    AND    JUDICIAL    LIFE. 


In  the  formation  of  this  constitution,  Andrew  Jack 
son  took  a  conspicuous  part ;  and  the  principles  which 
he  avowed  on  this  occasion  furnish  the  foundation  on 
which  were  based  the  leading  features  of  his  political 
life. 


CHAPTER    V. 
COMMENCEMENT  OF   THE    CREEK    WAR. 

E  now  come  to  a 
new  and  import 
ant  era  in  the  life 
of  Jackson.  The 
prolonged  aggres 
sions  of  Great 
Britain  upon  the 
maritime  rights, 
commerce,  and  honour  of  America,  effectually  aroused 
the  spirit  of  the  American  people.  Hostilities  becom 
ing  unavoidable,  Congress,  on  the  12th  of  June,  1812, 
declared  war  against  the  United  Kingdoms,  and  au 
thorized  the  president  to  accept  the  services  of  fifty 
thousand  volunteers. 


100     COMMENCEMENT    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 

General  Jackson,  though  watchful  of  events,  and 
keenly  alive  to  their  bearing,  had  retired  from  public 
life,  and  was  engaged  in  the  calm  pursuits  of  agricul 
ture.  The  sound  of  war  was  welcome  in  his  seclusion, 
for  it  summoned  him  to  a  deathless  renown.  It  came 
to  his  quick  ear  like  a  long  wished-for  permit  to  avenge 
the  wrongs  of  those,  for  whom  he  w^as  ever  ready  to 
sacrifice,  without  stint,  his  repose,  his  fortune,  and  his 
blood.  The  war-cry  of  his  country  scarcely  vibrated 
on  the  breeze,  ere  he  echoed  it  back  as  music,  with 
which  every  chord  of  his  soul  was  in  unison.  On  the 
25th  of  June,  thirteen  days  after  the  declaration  of 
war,  he  left  his  ripe  harvest  drooping  for  the  sickle,  and 
offered  to  the  general  government,  through  the  execu 
tive  of  Tennessee,  his  services,  with  those  of  twenty- 
five  hundred  brave  men,  who  had  flocked  to  his 
standard  on  the  first  certain  sound  of  war. 

On  the  12th  of  July,  the  Secretary  of  War  wrote  to 
the  Governor  of  Tennessee,  "The  tender  of  service  by 
General  Jackson  and  those  under  his  command,  is  re 
ceived  by  the  president  with  peculiar  satisfaction ;  and 
in  accepting  their  services,  the  president  cannot  with 
hold  an  expression  of  his  admiration  of  the  zeal  and 
ardour  by  which  they  are  animated."  In  conveying 
to  General  Jackson  this  acceptance  of  his  services, 
the  governor  tendered  his  thanks  to  him  for  the  honour 
done  his  state  by  the  prompt  manner  in  which  those 
services  had  been  offered. 

In  November  he  received  orders  to  descend  the 
Mississippi,  for  the  defence  of  the  lower  country,  which 
was  then  thought  to  be  in  danger.  Accordingly,  on 
the  10th  of  December,  those  troops  rendezvoused  at 


RAISES    TROOPS. 

Nashville,  prepared  to  advance  to  the  place  of  their 
destination;  and  although  the  weather  was  then  exces 
sively  severe,  and  the  ground  covered  with  snow,  no 
body  of  men  could  have  displayed  greater  firmness. 
The  general  was  with  them  everywhere,  inspiring  them 
with  the  ardour  which  animated  his  own  bosom.  The 
cheerful  spirit  with  which  they  submitted  to  hardships 
and  bore  privations,  at  the  very  outset  of  their  milita 
ry  career,  as  well  as  the  order  and  subordination  they 
so  readily  observed,  were  happy  presages  of  what 
might  be  expected,  when  they  should  be  directed  to 
face  an  enemy. 

On  the  7th  of  January,  1813,  in  the  heart  of  winter, 
these  hardy  sons  of  Tennessee  embarked  upon  their 
voyage  of  more  than  a  thousand  miles.  The  earth 
was  covered  with  snow ;  the  rivers  were  full  of  run 
ning  ice.  IJnappalled  by  the  difficulties  of  the  navi 
gation,  undismayed  by  the  dangers  with  which  they 
were  surrounded,  they  overcame  every  obstacle,  sailed 
down  the  Cumberland,  the  Ohio,  and  the  Mississippi, 
and  on  the  15th  of  February,  they  landed  at  Natchez. 
Here  Jackson  was  instructed  to  remain,  until  he  should 
receive  further  orders. 

Having  chosen  a  healthy  site  for  the  encampment 
of  his  troops,  about  two  miles  from  Washington, 
Jackson  devoted  himself  to  the  most  important  duty 
of  a  commanding-general — the  organization  and  disci 
pline  of  his  army.  Having  none  but  volunteer  troops 
around  him — young  men  educated  in  unrestrained 
freedom,  accustomed  to  no  other  words  of  authority 
but  their  own  commands  to  their  obedient  slaves,  his 
task  was  difficult  indeed.  But  by  his  example,  his 


102     COMMENCEMENT    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 

persuasive  eloquence  appealing  to  their  honour  and 
patriotism ;  by  his  inflexible  justice,  and  unwavering 
firmness,  those  young  men  were  made  cheerfully  to 
submit  to  the  privations  of  the  camp,  and  the  disci 
pline  of  military  life.  They  loved  their  general ;  they 
had  faith  in  his  capacity,  his  justice  and  his  bravery. 
By  the  magic  of  love  and  faith,  a  band  of  raw  recruits 
were  soon  converted  into  an  enthusiastic,  well-trained, 
and  invincible  army. 

What  must  have  been  the  mortification  of  this  lit 
tle  patriotic  band,  when  the  order  unexpectedly  came 
for  their  discharge  ?  The  clouds  of  w^ar  in  the  south 
having  blown  over,  the  Secretary  of  War  wrote  to 
General  Jackson,  "On  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  you 
will  consider  the  corps  under  your  command  as  dis 
missed  from  the  public  service,  and  take  measures  to 
have  delivered  to  Major-Goneral  Wilkinson,  all  arti 
cles  of  public  property  which  may  have  been  put  into 
its  possession." 

1  A  deeper  wound  could  not  have  been  inflicted  on 
a  patriotic  spirit  than  this  cruel  and  unexpected  order 
of  government.  By  great  exertions  and  personal  sac 
rifices  Jackson  had  called  together,  organized,  and  dis 
ciplined  a  band  of  ardent  youth,  eager  to  devote 
themselves  to  the  cause  of  their  country.  Suddenly, 
and  without  cause,  they  are  ordered  to  be  discharged, 
and  sent  home  without  arms,  without  tents,  without 
provisions,  or  camp  equipage  of  any  kind.  One  hun 
dred  and  fifty  of  them  were  on  the  sick  report.  Their 
homes  were  far  distant,  they  had  to  march  through  a 
country  without  roads,  without  the  means  of  shelter 
or  subsistence,  and  filled  with  hostile  Indians.  To 


A    SEVERE   TRIAL.  103 

disband  them  under  such  circumstances,  to  find  their 
way  home  as  they  could,  through  a  savage  and  wilder 
ness  country,  was  to  subject  them  to  the  certain  hor 
rors  of  the  tomahawk,  disease,  and  famine. 

But  the  order  was  plain  and  direct.  Whenever 
it  met  him,  under  whatever  circumstances,  the  corps 
under  his  command  was  to  be  dismissed  from  the  pub 
lic  service.  What  was  to  be  done?  He  called  a 
council  of  field  officers,  who  advised  obedience  to  the 
order.  An  ordinary  man,  the  mere  slave  of  routine 
and  detail,  would  have  complied ;  followed  strictly  the 
letter  of  his  order  without  consideration  of  circum 
stances,  abandoned  his  army,  and  retired  in  disgust. 

Great  as  was  the  astonishment  which  the  decision 
of  his  officers  excited  in  the  general,  it  produced  a 
still  higher  sentiment  of  indignation.  "  What !"  said 
he,  "  shall  the  word  of  Andrew  Jackson  be  forfeited  ? 
Did  I  not  promise  to  be  a  father  and  a  friend  to  these 
young  men,  when,  in  obedience  to  my  call,  they  flocked 
to  the  standard  of  their  country  ?  What  did  I  pro 
mise  to  the  daughters  of  Tennessee,  that  cold  and 
snowy  day,  last  December,  when  we  struck  our  tents, 
and  took  up  the  line  of  march  ?  Did  they  not  gather 
around  me  with  tears  in  their  eyes  and  say, '  General ! 
General !  I  trust  my  father  to  you — my  husband — my 
son — General !  I  know  you  will  take  care  of  them — 
I  know  you  will  see  that  justice  is  done  them,  and 
that  they  come  safely  back  home — General,  I  have 
faith  in  you,  and  I  know  you  will  not  disappoint  me.' 
Shall  I  now  dismiss  them  to  wander  through  a  savage 
wilderness,  without  subsistence  or  means  of  defence 
— or  shall  I  abandon  them  in  their  frail  condition  to 


104     COMMENCEMENT    OF   THE    CREEK    WAR. 

enlist  at  once  in  Wilkinson's  army,  whose  recruiting 
officers  are  already  among  us  to  entice  them  away  ? 
It  shall  not  be  done.  I  will  march  them  back  as  they 
came,  and  dismiss  them  like  honourable  soldiers  on 
the  ground  where  they  first  assembled." 

The  resolution  thus  taken,  he  lost  no  time  in  com 
municating  to  the  Secretary  of  War.  When  General 
Wilkinson,  to  whom  the  public  property  was  directed 
to  be  delivered,  learned  that  the  determination  had 
been  taken  to  march  the  troops  back,  and  to  take  with 
them  so  much  of  that  property  as  should  be  neces 
sary  to  their  return,  he  admonished  Jackson,  in  a  let 
ter  of  solemn  and  mysterious  import,  of  the  awful  and 
dangerous  responsibility  he  was  taking  on  himself  by 
that  measure.  General  Jackson  replied  that  his  con 
duct,  and  the  consequences  to  which  it  might  lead, 
had  been  deliberately  weighed,  and  that  he  was  pre 
pared  to  abide  the  result.  Wilkinson  had  previously 
given  orders  to  his  officers  to  recruit  from  Jackson's 
army ;  they  were  advised,  however,  on  their  first  ap 
pearance,  that  those  troops  were  already  in  the  service 
of  the  United  States,  and  that  thus  situated,  they 
should  not  be  enlisted. 

The  quarter-master  was  ordered  to  provide  con 
veyance  for  the  sick  and  baggage,  and  ostensibly  com 
menced  to  execute  the  order  ;  but,  as  the  event  proved, 
he  was  merely  amusing  the  general  by  a  show  of  com 
pliance.  Perceiving  his  object,  Jackson  seized  upon 
the  wagons  which  were  in  camp,  eleven  in  number, 
and  commenced  his  march  homeward. 

"  When  about  to  take  up  the  line  of  march,  the 
surgeon  reported  one  young  man  as  dying,  and  that 


THE    SICK    SOLDIER.  195 


The  sick  soldier. 


it  was  useless  for  him  to  cumber  the  already  overload 
ed  wagons.  'So  long  as  there  is  life  in  him,'  says 
Jackson,  '  he  shall  go.'  He  gave  up  his  own  horse 
for  the  sick,  as  did  his  staff,  and  marched  on  foot. 
When  the  young  man  w7ho  was  reported  to  be  dying 
recovered  from  his  swoon,  he  exclaimed,  '  Where  am 
I?'  6On  your  way  home,  my  good  fellow,'  said 
Jackson,  who  was  trudging  alon^  through  the  mud 

7  o       o  o  o 

by  his  side.  The  young  man  immediately  revived, 
and  began  to  mend  from  that  hour;  and  when  they 
reached  Nashville,  the  good  genera]  had  the  pleasure 
to  restore  him  safe  and  sound  to  his  mother."* 

In  order  to  defray  the  unavoidable  expenses  of  the 
march,  he  borrowed  five  thousand  dollars  on  his  own 
private  credit.  On  arriving  at  Nashville,  he  commu 
nicated  to  the  president  of  the  United  States,  the  course 
he  had  pursued,  and  the  reasons  that  induced  it.  His 

*  Garland's  Eulogy. 
14  9 


106    COMMENCEMENT    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 

conduct  was  approved  of,  the  expenses  incurred  di 
rected  to  be  paid,  and  the  troops  were  paid  up  to  the 
time  of  their  discharge  at  Nashville. 

The  conduct  of  General  Jackson  on  this  occasion, 
in  refusing  to  obey  the  orders  of  government,  has  been 
considered  as  an  acfr  of  disobedience  more  worthy  to 
be  blamed  than  praised.  But  those  who  thus  regard 
it,  have  not  a  just  view  of  the  question.  When  the 
officers  of  government  issue  their  orders  to  a  command 
ing  general  on  a  remote  field  of  operations,  where 
their  knowledge  of  localities  is  limited,  and  their  means 
of  communication  slow  and  uncertain,  they  assume  a 
certain  state  of  things  to  exist,  on  which  their  orders 
are  predicated.  But  when  the  commands  of  govern 
ment  reach  the  officer  whose  duty  it  is  to  execute 
them,  the  actual  posture  of  affairs  may  be  wholly  dif 
ferent  from  what  was  anticipated,  and  an  execution  of 
them  may  cause  harm  rather  than  good  to  the  public 
service.  In  such  a  case,  it  is  presumed  that  the  com 
manding  officer  has  so  much  of  the  confidence  of  his 
government,  as  to  warrant  him  in  assuming  the  re 
sponsibility  of  varying  the  execution  of  his  orders  to 
suit  the  actual  state  of  things,  and  throwing  himself 
on  the  justice  and  magnanimity  of  his  country  for  justi 
fication.  It  is  true  that  this  is  a  difficult  and  delicate 
task  to  perform.  None  but  a  most  extraordinary  man 
can  venture  on  it.  It  requires  a  clear  arid  compre 
hensive  intellect  to  see  through  and  understand  the 
real  circumstances  in  which  he  is  placed,  a  bold  and 
firm  heart  to  execute  what  the  judgment  approves. 
Such  a  man  was  Andrew  Jackson.  He  who,  when  a 
boy  in  the  dungeon  of  Camden,  did  not  fear  to  speak 


DECISION    OF    GOVERNMENT.  1 07 

the  truth,  would  not,  when  a  man,  under  the  most  try 
ing  circumstances,  fail  to  act  the  truth. 

When  government  issued  their  orders  to  disband 
his  army,  it  was  on  the  supposition  that  he  had  not 
left  the  borders  of  Tennessee.  Neither  had  he,  at  that 
time ;  for  it  was  dated  January  7th,  two  days  before 
he  started  from  Nashville.  Little  did  they  know,  how 
ever,  of  the  promptness  and  energy  of  the  man  they 
had  to  deal  with.  Instead  of  finding  him  lingering 
on  the  Cumberland,  their  orders  found  him  at  the  ter 
mination  of  his  march,  at  the  point  where  he  was 
ordered  to  await  further  instructions,  with  an  army 
already  organized,  equipped,  and  disciplined  for  ser 
vice.  When,  therefore,  they  came  to  understand  the 
grounds  on  which  he  had  declined  full  obedience  to 
their  commands,  they  not  only  approved,  but  justified 
his  conduct,  and  promptly  paid  the  five  thousand  dol 
lars  he  had  borrowed  at  Natchez,  on  his  own  respon 
sibility,  to  sustain  his  troops  on  their  homeward 
march. 

Although  shamefully  treated,  and  sought  to  be  dis 
graced  by  the  machinations  of  jealous  rivals,  Jackson 
was  not,  like  ordinary  men,  disgusted  and  driven 
from  the  service  of  his  country.  When  he  arrived  at 
Nashville,  he  again  offered  himself  and  his  brave  vo 
lunteers  to  the  war  department,  and  asked  to  be 
marched  to  the  northern  frontiers,  that  they  might 
wipe  out  there  the  recent  disgrace  of  the  treachery 
and  defeat  of  General  Hull.  "  I  have  a  few  stand 
ards,"  says  he,  "  with  the  American  eagle  upon  them, 
that  I  long  to  plant  on  the  ramparts  of  Maiden."  No 
disappointments  could  discourage  him — no  ill-treat- 


108     COMMENCEMENT    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 

ment  could  disgust  him,  while  the  cause  of  his  country 
called  for  his  services.* 

Though  his  country  professed  not  to  need  those 
services  along  the  Canada  lines,  it  was  not  long  be 
fore  he  was  called  to  defend  the  borders  of  Tennessee 
from  the  tomahawk  of  the  ruthless  savage. 

The  celebrated  Indian,  Francis,  better  known  as  the 
Prophet,  who  was  actively  engaged  in  stimulating  the 
northern  tribes  to  hostilities  against  the  United  States, 
sent  his  brother  Tecumseh  to  the  nations  of  the  south, 
to  communicate  his  wishes  and  bring  them  into  his 
plans.  The  Prophet,  as  he  was  called,  claimed  to  be 
specially  commissioned  by  the  Great  Spirit  to  expound 
his  will  to  the  Indian  nations ;  and  his  authority  was 
universally  acknowledged  by  his  brethren.  He  suc 
ceeded  in  exciting  a  universal  feeling  of  enmity  to 
the  United  States,  and  instigated  the  Indians  to  the 
most  savage  warfare.  Tecumseh  arrived  in  the  Creek 
nation  early  in  1812,  and  immediately  endeavoured 
to  persuade  the  chiefs  to  take  up  the  hatchet.  They 
declined,  however,  to  make  war  against  the  United 
States,  from  whom  the  nation  annually  received  valu 
able  presents  and  other  substantial  assurances  of  friend 
ship.  Defeated  in  this  quarter,  Tecumseh  next  tried 
his  influence  with  the  young  men  of  the  tribe ;  and 
there  he  met  with  more  success.  They  listened 
eagerly  to  his  descriptions  of  the  wrongs  suffered  by 
their  countrymen  from  the  whites,  and  their  spirits 
warmed  into  enthusiasm  under  his  stirring  appeals  to 
them  to  rise,  and  take  a  full  measure  of  vengeance. 

*  Garland's  Eulogy. 


OPERATIONS    OF    TECUMSEH.  109 

They  were  also  promised  the  support  of  Great  Britain, 
and  were  encouraged  to  hope  for  an  easy  victory. 
This  ardour,  however,  was  repressed  by  the  artful 
chief,  who  represented  to  them  the  great  importance 
of  preserving  perfect  secrecy  until  the  moment  should 
arrive  for  a  general  attack.  Having  established  a 
perfect  organization  of  the  Creek  nation,  independent 
of  and  unknown  to  the  chiefs,  Tecumseh  returned 
home,  to  assist  his  brother  in  carrying  his  plans  into 
effect.  Before  these  preparations  were  completed, 
however,  an  incident  occurred  which  precipitated  the 
Creeks  into  open  war.  A  constant  communication 
being  now  kept  up  between  the  northern  and  southern 
Indians,  parties  were  continually  passing  between 
their  countries,  by  whom  depredations  were  often 
committed  upon  the  frontier  settlers.  Several  persons 
were  barbarously  murdered  in  the  summer  of  1812, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio ;  and  shortly  afterwards, 
the  savages  put  to  death  several  whole  families,  within 
the  state  of  Tennessee.  Colonel  Hawkins,  the  United 
States  Agent,  demanded  that  the  murderers  should  be 
punished;  and  the  chiefs,  who  continued  friendly  to 
the  government,  ordered  them  to  be  put  to  death ;  and 
several  were  actually  executed.  This  act  of  the  chiefs 
excited  the  fury  of  the  young  warriors  to  such  a  de 
gree,  that  they  could  no  longer  restrain  their  hatred 
for  the  whites,  and  broke  into  open  war.  The  peace 
fully  inclined  among  them  wrere  compelled  to  seek  re 
fuge  with  the  white  inhabitants,  and  the  hostile  party 
commenced  the  most  horrible  of  all  warfares  upon  the 
unprotected  frontier  settlements.  They  were  insti 
gated  to  the  commission  of  these  acts,  not  only  by  the 
9* 


110      COMMENCEMENT    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 


Tecumseh. 


persuasions  of  Tecumseh,  but  by  the  emissaries  of 
England  and  Spain.  From  the  same  sources  they 
procured  abundant  supplies  of  arms  and  ammunition, 
and  received  promises  of  donations  equal  or  superior 
in  value  to  those  which  they  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
receiving  from  the  government  of  the  United  States. 


MASSACRE    AT    FORT  MIMMS.  113 

The  first  effects  of  these  infernal  machinations 
were  felt  by  the  people  of  Mississippi,  then  a  thinly 
settled  territory,  and  totally  unprovided  with  the  means 
of  efficient  resistance.  As  a  sort  of  frontier  guard,  or 
protection  against  the  roving  parties  of  savages  who 
frequently  plundered  the  settlers,  a  garrison  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men  had  been  stationed  in  what 
was  known  as  the  Tensaw  Settlement.  A  small  forti 
fication  had  been  erected  at  Tensaw,  called  Fort 
Mimms,  in  which  the  troops  were  stationed.  At  the 
commencement  of  the  hostile  movements  among  the 
Indians,  the  inhabitants  of  the  settlement  took  refuge 
in  the  fort,  increasing  the  number  of  its  inmates  to 
three  hundred  and  seventy  souls.  Against  this  post 
the  Creeks  resolved  that  their  first  blow  should  be 
struck.  On  the  30th  of  August,  about  one  thousand 
warriors,  armed  to  the  teeth,  and  stimulated  by  lust 
and  vengeance,  attacked  the  fort  with  indescribable 
fury.  The  garrison  made  a  gallant  resistance,  but 
their  desperate  bravery  availed  nothing  against  such 
a  disparity  of  numbers.  Major  Beasley,  the  com 
mander,  with  his  little  band  of  soldiers,  fell  beneath 
the  tomahawks  of  the  savages,  whose  merciless  enmity 
spared  neither  women  nor  children  from  the  general 
slaughter.  Those  of  the  inmates  of  the  fort  who  were 
unable  to  aid  in  its  defence,  had  taken  refuge  from  the 
balls  in  an  old  building  within  the  walls.  When  the 
savages  burst  through  the  gates,  they  set  fire  to  this 
building,  and  its  unhappy  inmates  perished  horribly  in 
the  flames.  The  enemy,  however,  paid  dearly  for  his 
inhuman  triumph.  The  gallant  band  of  heroes  under 
Major  Beasley  killed  more  than  their  own  number, 
15 


114     COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  CREEK  WAR. 

notwithstanding  the  superior  force  they  had  to  con 
tend  with ;  and  these  brave  men  reposed  in  death 
upon  mountains  of  the  slain  foemen.  Seventeen  per 
sons  only  of  the  garrison  escaped  to  tell  the  melan 
choly  tale. 

The  recital  of  their  story  roused  the  whole  people 
of  the  west  to  the  danger  which  threatened  them,  and 
produced  a  universal  cry  for  vengeance.  The  peo 
ple  of  Tennessee,  not  immediately  exposed  to  the 
ravages  of  the  enemy,  but  sympathizing  with  their 
unfortunate  brethren  of  Mississippi,  took  energetic 
measures  to  afford  them  relief.  A  numerous  collec 
tion  of  respectable  citizens,  who  convened  at  Nash 
ville,  on  the  18th  of  September,  1813,  for  the  purpose 
of  devising  the  most  effectual  means  of  affording  pro 
tection  to  their  brethren  in  distress,  after  conferring 
with  the  governor,  and  General  Jackson,  strongly 
advised  the  propriety  of  marching  a  sufficient  army 
into  the  heart  of  the  Creek  country ;  and  accordingly 
recommended  this  measure  with  great  earnestness  to 
the  legislature,  which  a  few  days  afterwards  com 
menced  its  session.  That  body  immediately  enacted 
a  law  authorizing  the  executive  to  call  into  service 
thirty-five  hundred  of  the  militia,  to  march  against 
the  Indians ;  and  to  guard  against  all  difficulties,  in 
the  event  of  the  general  government  omitting  to  adopt 
them  into  their  service,  three  hundred  thousand  dol 
lars  were  voted  for  their  support. 

Additional  reasons  were  at  hand  why  active  ope 
rations  should  be  commenced  with  the  least  possible 
delay.  The  settlers  were  all  hastening  to  the  interior, 
and  every  day  brought  intelligence  that  the  Creeks, 


RAISING    OF   VOLUNTEERS.  115 

collected  in  great  force,  were  bending  their  course  to 
wards  the  frontiers  of  Tennessee.  The  anxiety  felt 
on  the  occasion  was  greatly  increased  from  an  appre 
hension  that  General  Jackson  would  not  be  able  to 
command.  He  was  the  only  man  known  in  the  state 
who  was  believed  to  be  qualified  for  discharging  the 
arduous  duties  of  the  station,  and  who  could  carry  with 
him  the  complete  confidence  of  his  soldiers.  He  was 
at  this  time  seriously  indisposed,  and  confined  to  his 
room,  with  a  fractured  arm,  occasioned  by  a  pistol 
ball  received  in  the  duel  with  Dickinson  ;  but,  although 
this  apprehension  was  seriously  indulged,  arrange 
ments  were  in  progress  and  measures  industriously 
taken  to  prepare  and  press  the  expedition  with  every 
possible  despatch. 

The  governor  issued  an  order  to  General  Jackson, 
who,  notwithstanding  the  state  of  his  health,  had  de 
termined  to  assume  the  command,  requiring  him  to 
call  out  and  rendezvous  at  Fayetteville,  in  the  shortest 
possible  time,  two  thousand  of  the  militia  and  volun 
teers  of  his  division,  to  repel  any  invasion  that  might 
be  contemplated.  Colonel  Coffee,  in  addition  to  five 
hundred  cavalry  already  raised  and  under  his  com 
mand,  was  authorized  and  instructed  to  organize  and 
receive  into  his  regiment  any  mounted  riflemen  who 
might  make  a  tender  of  their  services. 

o 

Having  received  these  orders,  Jackson  directed 
Colonel  Coffee,  with  his  cavalry,  to  hasten  on  to  the 
neighbourhood  of  Huntsville,  and  occupy  some  eligible 
position  for  the  defence  of  the  frontier,  until  the  in 
fantry  could  arrive;  the  latter,  consisting  partly  of 
those  volunteers  who  had  descended  the  Mississippi  to 


110     COMMENCEMENT    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 

Natchez,  were  called  upon  and  directed  to  appear  at 
Fayetteville,  on  the  4th  of  October,  1813,  equipped 
and  armed  for  active  service.  He  pointed  out  the  im 
perative  necessity  which  demanded  their  services,  and 
urged  them  to  be  punctual ;  for  their  frontiers  were 
threatened  with  invasion  by  a  savage  foe.  "Already," 
said  he,  "are  large  bodies  of  the  hostile  Creeks 
marching  to  your  borders,  with  their  seal  ping-knives 
unsheathed,  to  butcher  your  women  and  children ; 
time  is  not  to  be  lost.  We  must  hasten  to  the  fron 
tier,  or  we  shall  find  it  drenched  in  the  blood  of  our 
citizens !  The  health  of  your  general  is  restored — he 
will  command  in  person." 

When  the  voice  of  their  beloved  commander  was 
thus  heard,  the  sons  of  Tennessee  hastened  to  his 
standard.  He  who  had  stood  by  them  and  brought 
them  safely  home  six  months  before,  could  not  fail  to 
procure  their  services  whenever  called  for.  We  may 
well  imagine  that  the  women  vied  with  the  men  in 
their  zeal  and  alacrity.  "  Go,  my  son !  go,  my  hus 
band  !  Jackson,  your  father  and  friend,  calls  you — 
your  country  is  in  danger — go,  help  him  to  chastise 
the  savages — he  will  take  care  of  you,  and  bring  you 
safely  back  home,  or  lay  you  surrounded  with  glory 
on  the  field  of  battle.  He  did  not  forsake  you — do 
not  you  forsake  him."* 

Every  exertion  was  now  made  to  hasten  the  pre 
parations  for  a  vigorous  campaign.  The  necessary 
orders  were  issued  to  the  quarter-master,  and  the 
contractors.  When  the  day  of  rendezvous  had  ar- 

*  Garland's  Eulogy. 


ADDRESS  TO  THE  TROOPS.        117 

rived,  the  general  not  being  sufficiently  recovered  of 
his  wound,  sent  by  his  aid-de-camp,  Major  Reid,  an 
address,  to  be  read  to  the  troops,  accompanied  by  an 
order  for  the  establishment  of  the  police  of  the  camp. 
In  this  address  he  pointed  to  the  unprovoked  injuries 
that  had  been  so  long  inflicted  by  this  horde  of  merci 
less  and  cruel  savages,  and  entreated  his  soldiers  to 
evince  that  zeal  in  the  defence  of  their  country,  which 
the  importance  of  the  moment  so  much  required.  His 
address  was  as  follows :  "  We  are  about  to  furnish 
these  savages  a  lesson  of  admonition; — we  are  about 
to  teach  them  that  our  long  forbearance  has  not  pro 
ceeded  from  an  insensibility  to  wrongs,  or  inability  to 
redress  them.  They  stand  in  need  of  such  warning. 
In  proportion  as  we  have  borne  with  their  insults, 
and  submitted  to  their  outrages,  have  they  multiplied 
in  number,  and  increased  in  atrocity.  But  the  mea 
sure  of  their  offences  is  at  length  filled.  The  blood 
of  our  women  and  children,  recently  spilled  at  .Fort 
Mimms,  calls  for  our  vengeance ;  it  must  not  call  in 
vain.  Our  borders  must  no  longer  be  disturbed  by 
the  war-whoop  of  these  savages,  or  the  cries  of  suf 
fering  victims.  The  torch  that  has  been  lighted  up, 
must  be  made  to  blaze  in  the  heart  of  their  own  coun 
try.  It  is  time  they  should  be  made  to  feel  the 
weight  of  a  power,  which,  because  it  was  merciful, 
they  believed  to  be  impotent.  But  how  shall  a  war 
so  long  forborne,  and  so  loudly  called  for  by  retribu 
tive  justice,  be  waged  ?  Shall  we  imitate  the  example 
of  our  enemies,  in  the  disorder  of  their  movements, 
and  the  savageness  of  their  dispositions  ?  Is  it  wor 
thy  the  character  of  American  soldiers,  who  take  up 


118      COMMENCEMENT  OF   THE   CREEK   WAR. 

arms  to  redress  the  wrongs  of  an  injured  country,  to 
assume  no  better  model  than  that  furnished  them  by 
barbarians  ?  No,  fellow-soldiers ;  great  as  are  the 
grievances  that  have  called  us  from  our  homes,  we 
must  not  permit  disorderly  passions  to  tarnish  the  re 
putation  we  shall  carry  along  with  us ;  we  must  and 
will  be  victorious ;  but  we  must  conquer  as  men  who 
owe  nothing  to  chance,  and  who,  in  the  midst  of  vic 
tory,  can  still  be  mindful  of  what  is  due  to  humanity ! 

"  We  will  commence  the  campaign  by  an  inviolable 
attention  to  subordination  and  discipline.  Without  a 
strict  observance  of  these,  victory  must  ever  be  uncer 
tain,  and  ought  hardly  to  be  exulted  in,  even  when 
gained.  To  what  but  the  entire  disregard  of  order 
and  subordination  are  we  to  ascribe  the  disasters 
which  have  attended  our  arms  in  the  north  during  the 
present  war  ?  How  glorious  it  will  be  to  remove  the 
blots  which  have  tarnished  the  fair  character  be 
queathed  us  by  the  fathers  of  our  revolution !  The 
bosom  of  your  general  is  full  of  hope.  He  knows  the 
ardour  which  animates  you,  and  already  exults  in  the 
triumph,  which  your  strict  observance  of  discipline 
and  good  order  will  render  certain." 

For  the  police  of  his  camp,  he  announced  the  fol 
lowing  order : 

"  The  chain  of  sentinels  will  be  marked,  and  the 
sentries  posted,  precisely  at  ten  o'clock  to-day. 

"  No  sutler  will  be  suffered  to  sell  spirituous  liquors 
to  any  soldier,  without  permission  in  writing  from  a 
commissioned  officer,  under  the  penalties  prescribed 
by  the  rules  and  articles  of  war. 

"  No  citizen  will  be  permitted  to  pass  the  chain  of 


CAMP    ORDERS. 

sentinels  after  retreat-beat  in  the  evening,  until  reveille 
in  the  morning.  Drunkenness,  the  bane  of  all  orderly 
encampments,  is  positively  forbidden,  both  in  officers 
and  privates :  officers,  under  the  penalty  of  immediate 
arrest:  and  privates,  of  being  placed  under  guard,  there 
to  remain  until  liberated  by  a  court-martial. 

"  At  reveille  beat,  all  officers  and  soldiers  are  to 
appear  on  parade,  with  their  arms  and  accoutrements 
in  proper  order. 

"  On  parade,  silence,  the  duty  of  a  soldier,  is  posi 
tively  commanded. 

"  No  officer  or  soldier  is  to  sleep  out  of  camp,  but 
by  permission  obtained." 

Impatient  to  join  his  division,  although  his  health 
was  far  from  being  restored,  his  arm  only  beginning 
to  heal,  the  general  set  out  for  the  encampment,  and 
reached  it  on  the  7th.  Finding,  on  his  arrival,  that 
the  requisition  was  not  complete,  either  in  the  number 
of  men,  or  the  necessary  equipments,  measures  were 
instantly  taken  to  remedy  the  deficiency ;  but  before 
his  arrangements  were  completed  he  received  the  most 
urgent  requests  to  hasten  towards  the  enemy's  coun 
try.  Colonel  Coffee,  who  commanded  a  regiment  of 
mounted  riflemen,  and  who  had  been  ordered  to  ad 
vance  towards  Huntsville,  sent  an  express  to  the 
general,  requesting  him  to  advance  to  his  support,  as 
the  enemy  contemplated  a  speedy  attack  upon  the 
frontiers  with  a  large  force.  Influenced  by  these  re 
presentations,  General  Jackson  marched  from  his 
encampment  on  the  10th,  and  reached  Huntsville  the 
same  evening.  On  the  following  day,  he  united  his 
force  with  that  of  Colonel  Coffee,  who  had  advanced 
10 


120    COMMENCEMENT    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 

to  the  Tennessee  river,  and  crossed  it  at  Pitts's  Land 
ing.  Coffee  was  detached  with  seven  hundred  mounted 
men,  to  scour  the  country,  near  the  Big  Warrior  and 
Tombigbee  rivers.  The  main  body  remained  seven 
days  at  Pitts's  Landing,  which  time  was  diligently  oc 
cupied  by  the  general  in  disciplining  his  troops. 

The  most  harassing  part  of  the  duties  of  the  ge 
neral,  however,  was  that  which  unexpectedly  devolved 
upon  him,  of  making  provision  for  the  sustenance  of 
his  army.  General  Cocke,  who  commanded  the  mi 
litia  of  East  Tennessee,  had  promised  that  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  provisions  should  be  in  readiness  for  the 
army  as  it  advanced,  and  Jackson  had  depended  upon 
his  engagement.  He  now  found,  however,  that  the 
contractors  were  not  able  to  furnish  the  army  with 
rations  for  any  length  of  time;  although  they  had 
stated  that  they  would  have  provisions  for  twenty 
days  ready  for  delivery  when  the  troops  reached  the 
Tennessee  river.  The  prospect  was  one  which  would 
have  shaken  the  resolution  of  many  men  of  strong 
nerve ;  but  the  mind  of  Jackson  saw  no  difficulty  too 
great  to  be  surmounted.  Having  received  such  pro 
visions  as  were  in  the  hands  of  the  contractors,  he 
discharged  them  from  their  engagements,  and  employed 
others  more  capable  of  fulfilling  their  duties. 

General  Cocke,  with  twenty-five  hundred  men  which 
he  had  under  his  command,  had  been  ordered  to  unite 
with  Jackson ;  who  waited  several  days,  and  then 
marched  up  the  river  to  Thompson's  Creek,  where  he 
remained  in  hourly  expectation  of  reinforcements  and 
provisions.  But  there  was  no  arrival,  and  no  prospect 
of  an  arrival.  In  this  state  of  things,  without  the  re- 


ADDRESS    TO    THE    TROOPS. 

inforcements  thought  necessary  to  enable  him  to  cope 
with  the  savages,  with  only  two  days'  provision  on 
the  backs  of  his  soldiers,  he  resolved  to  march  down 
into  the  heart  of  the  enemy's  country,  where  he  knew 
that  nothing  would  be  found  but  barren  woods,  desert 
ed  villages,  and  hostile  armies.  For  boldness  of  de 
sign,  and  a  fearless  reliance  on  his  own  resources,  this 
act  is  unsurpassed  by  any  of  the  renowned  achieve 
ments  of  Hannibal  or  Napoleon.  Bent  on  the  accom 
plishment  of  the  object  for  which  he  was  called  into 
the  field,  no  pressing  necessity,  no  prospective  want 
or  suffering  could  arrest  him.  Any  ordinary  general 
would  have  waited,  and  he  would  have  been  justified 
by  military  rule  in  waiting  where  he  was  for  supplies 
and  reinforcements.  But  General  Jackson  was  not  a 
man  of  rule — he  would  not  tarry  while  there  was  an 
enemy  to  conquer.  Press  forward  he  must,  or  chafe 
away  his  ardent  soul  with  anxiety  and  regret.  He 
carried  within  his  own  bosom  the  never-failing  ele 
ments  of  success.  He  had  faith  in  himself,  faith  in 
the  boundless  resources  of  a  brave  heart  that  conque  ~j 
impossibilities — he  had  that  deep  and  trustful  faith  in 
the  providence  of  God,  which  alone  can  remove  moun 
tains,  and  stamps  its  possessor  with  the  mark  of  true 
greatness.* 

To  prepare  his  troops  for  an  engagement  which  he 
foresaw  was  soon  to  take  place,  he  thus  addressed 
them: 

"You  have,  fellow-soldiers,  at  length  penetrated 
the  country  of  your  enemies.  It  is  not  to  be  believed 
that  they  will  abandon  the  soil  that  embosoms  the 

*  Garland's  Eulogy. 


122     COMMENCEMENT    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 

bones  of  their  forefathers,  without  furnishing  you  an 
opportunity  of  signalizing  your  valour.  Wise  men 
do  not  expect,  brave  men  will  not  desire  it.  It  was 
not  to  travel  unmolested  through  a  barren  wilderness, 
that  you  have  quitted  your  families  and  homes,  and 
submitted  to  so  many  privations ;  it  was  to  avenge 
the  cruelties  committed  upon  our  defenceless  frontiers 
by  the  inhuman  Creeks,  instigated  by  their  no  less  in 
human  allies ;  you  shall  not  be  disappointed.  If  the 
enemy  flee  before  us,  we  will  overtake  and  chastise 
him;  we  will  teach  him  how  dreadful,  when  once 
aroused,  is  the  resentment  of  freemen.  But  it  is  not 
by  boasting,  that  punishment  is  to  be  inflicted,  or  vic 
tory  obtained.  The  same  resolution  that  prompted 
us  to  take  up  arms,  must  inspire  us  in  battle.  Men 
thus  animated,  and  thus  resolved,  barbarians  can 
never  conquer ;  and  it  is  an  enemy  barbarous  in  the 
extreme  that  we  have  now  to  face.  Their  reliance 
will  be  on  the  damage  they  can  do  you  whilst  you  are 
asleep  and  unprepared  for  action:  their  hopes  shall 
fail  them  in  the  hour  of  experiment.  Soldiers  who 
know  their  duty  and  are  ambitious  to  perform  it  are 
not  to  be  taken  by  surprise.  Our  sentinels  will  never 
sleep,  nor  our  soldiers  be  unprepared  for  action  :  yet, 
whilst  it  is  enjoined  upon  the  sentinels  vigilantly  to 
watch  the  approach  of  the  foe,  they  are  at  the  same 
time  commanded  not  to  fire  at  shadows.  Imaginary 
danger  must  not  deprive  them  of  entire  self-posses 
sion.  Our  soldiers  will  lie  with  their  arms  in  their 
hands ;  and  the  moment  an  alarm  is  given,  they  will 
move  to  their  respective  positions,  without  noise  and 
without  confusion ;  they  will  be  thus  enabled  to  hear 


ADDRESS    TO    HIS    SOLDIERS.  123 

the  orders  of  their  officers,  and  to  obey  them  with 
promptitude. 

"  Great  reliance  will  be  placed  by  the  enemy  on 
the  consternation  they  may  be  able  to  spread  through 
our  ranks  by  the  hideous  yells  with  which  they  com 
mence  their  battles ;  but  brave  men  will  laugh  at  such 
efforts  to  alarm  them.  It  is  not  by  bellowings  and 
screams  that  the  wounds  of  death  are  inflicted.  You 
will  teach  these  noisy  assailants  how  weak  are  their 
weapons  of  warfare,  by  opposing  them  with  the  bayo 
net  ;  what  Indian  ever  withstood  its  charge  ?  what 
arms,  of  any  nation,  ever  withstood  it  long  ? 

"  Yes,  soldiers,  the  order  for  a  charge,  will  be  the 
signal  for  victory.  In  that  moment  your  enemy  will 
be  seen  fleeing  in  every  direction  before  you.  But  in 
the  moment  of  action,  coolness  and  deliberation  must 
be  regarded  ;  your  fires  made  with  precision  and  aim ; 
and  when  ordered  to  charge  with  the  bayonet,  you 
must  proceed  to  the  assault  with  a  quick  and  firm 
step  ;  without  trepidation  or  alarm.  Then  shall  you 
behold  the  completion  of  your  hopes  in  the  discomfiture 
of  your  enemy.  Your  general,  whose  duty  as  well  as 
inclination  is  to  watch  over  your  safety,  will  not,  to 
gratify  any  wishes  of  his  own,  rush  you  unnecessarily 
into  danger.  He  knows,  however,  that  it  is  not  in 
assailing  an  enemy  that  men  are  destroyed  ;  it  is  when 
retreating  and  in  confusion.  Aware  of  this,  he  will  be 
prompted  as  much  by  a  regard  for  your  lives,  as  for 
your  honour.  He  laments  that  he  has  been  compelled, 
even  incidentally,  to  hint  at  a  retreat  when  speaking  to 
freemen  and  soldiers.  Never,  until  you  forget  all  that 
is  due  to  yourselves  and  your  country,  will  you  have 
10* 


124    COMMENCEMENT    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 

any  practical  understanding  of  that  word.  Shall  an 
enemy,  wholly  unacquainted  with  military  evolution, 
and  who  rely  more  for  victory  on  their  grim  visages, 
and  hideous  yells,  than  upon  their  bravery  or  their 
weapons ;  shall  such  an  enemy  ever  drive  before  them 
the  well-trained  youths  of  our  country,  whose  bosoms 
pant  for  glory,  and  a  desire  to  avenge  the  wrongs  they 
have  received  ?  Your  general  will  not  live  to  behold 
such  a  spectacle ;  rather  would  he  rush  into  the  thick 
est  of  the  enemy,  and  submit  himself  to  their  scalping- 
knives.  But  he  has  no  fears  of  such  a  result;  he 
knows  the  valour  of  the  men  he  commands,  and  how 
certainly  that  valour,  regulated  as  it  will  be,  will  lead 
to  victory.  With  his  soldiers  he  will  face  all  dangers, 
and  with  them  participate  in  the  glory  of  conquest." 

Having  thus  prepared  the  minds  of  his  men,  and 
brought  to  their  view  the  kind  of  foe  with  whom  they 
were  shortly  to  contend,  and  having  also  instructed 
General  White,  who  commanded  the  advance  of 
General  Cocke's  regiment,  to  form  a  junction  with 
him,  and  to  hasten  on  all  the  supplies  in  his  power  to 
command,  he  again  put  his  army  in  motion  to  reach 
the  enemy. 

Two  runners  now  arrived  from  Turkey  Town, 
who  had  been  despatched  by  Path-Killer,  a  chief  of 
the  Cherokees;  they  brought  information  that  the 
enemy  from  nine  of  the  hostile  towns  were  assembling 
in  great  force  near  the  Ten  Islands;  and  solicited 
that  immediate  assistance  should  be  afforded  the  friend 
ly  Creeks  and  Cherokees  in  their  neighbourhood,  who 
were  exposed  to  such  imminent  danger.  Jackson  re 
plied  to  the  Path-Killer,  by  his  runners,  that  he  should 


FAILURE    OF    THE    CONTRACTORS.  125 


proceed  directly  for  the 
Coosa,  and  solicited  him 
to  be  diligent  in  making 
discoveries  of  the  situation 
and  collected  force  of  the 
savages,  and  to  give  him 
the  result  of  his  enquiries. 
"  The  hostile  Creeks,"  he 
remarked  to  him,  "will 
not  attack  you  until  they 
have  had  a  brush  with 
me ;  and  that,  I  think,  will 
put  them  out  of  the  notion 
of  fighting  for  some  time." 
He  concluded  his  message 
by  requesting  him  to  send 
to  the  army  provisions  of 
any  kind,  or  information 
where  any  might  be  had 
which  would  support  life. 
He  had  advanced  but  a  short  distance,  when  famine 
obliged  him  to  stop.  The  contractors  who  had  been 
so  much  relied  on  were  unable  to  furnish  the  neces 
sary  supplies  for  the  army.  Jackson,  impelled  by 
necessity,  took  the  contract  from  them,  and  at  the  in 
stance  of  Major  Rose,  of  the  quarter-master's  depart 
ment,  gave  it  to  Mr.  Pope,  of  Madison  county,  upon 
whose  means  and  exertions  it  was  thought  confidence 
could  be  placed.  To  the  other  contractors  he  wrote, 
informing  them  of  the  change  that  had  been  made, 
and  the  reasons  which  had  induced  it. 

"  I  am  advised,"  said  he,  "  that  you  have  candidly 


Indian  runner. 


126    COMMENCEMENT    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 

acknowledged  that  you  have  it  not  in  your  power  to 
execute  the  contract  in  which  you  have  engaged.  Do 
not  think  I  mean  to  cast  any  reflection — very  far 
from  it.  I  am  exceedingly  pleased  with  the  exertions 
you  have  made,  and  feel  myself  under  many  obliga 
tions  of  gratitude  for  them.  The  critical  situation  of 
affairs  when  you  entered  into  the  contract  being  con 
sidered,  you  have  done  all  that  individuals  in  your 
circumstances  could  have  performed.  But  you  must 
be  well  convinced  that  any  approbation  which  may 
be  felt  by  the  commander  of  an  army  for  past  ser 
vices,  ought  not  to  become  the  occasion  of  that  army's 
destruction.  From  the  admissions  you  have  been 
candid  enough  to  make,  the  scarcity  which  already 
begins  to  appear  in  camp,  and  the  difficulties  you  are 
likely  to  encounter  in  effecting  your  engagements,  I 
am  apprehensive  I  should  be  doing  injustice  to  the 
army  I  command  were  I  to  rely  for  support  on  your 
exertions — great  as  I  know  them  to  be.  Whatever 
concerns  myself,  I  may  manage  with  any  generosity 
or  indulgence  I  please ;  but  in  acting  for  an  army,  I 
have  no  such  discretion.  I  have  therefore  felt  myself 
compelled  to  give  the  contract  in  which  you  are  con 
cerned  to  another,  who  is  abundantly  able  to  execute 
it,  on  condition  he  indemnify  you  for  the  trouble  you 
have  been  at." 

This  arrangement  being  made,  the  army  continued 
its  march,  and  General  Jackson,  to  prevent  further 
delays,  wrote  to  various  sources,  calling,  in  the  most 
pressing  manner,  for  supplies.  He  wrote  thus  to  the 
Governor  of  Georgia,  with  whose  forces  it  was  pro 
posed  to  act  in  concert ;  to  Colonel  Meigs,  agent  to 


SCARCITY    OF    PROVISIONS.  127 

the  Cherokees,  and  to  Generals  Cocke  and  White. 
Having  arrived  within  a  few  miles  of  the  Ten  Islands, 
he  was  met  by  old  Chinnaby,  a  leading  chief  of  the 
Creek  nation,  and  sternly  opposed  to  the  war  party. 
The  troops  were  here  again  detained  a  day,  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  small  supplies  of  corn  from  the 
neighbouring  friendly  Indians.  This  scanty  acquisition, 
affording  subsistence  for  the  present,  encouraged  his 
hopes  for  the  future,  as  a  means  of  temporary  resort, 
should  his  other  resources  fail.  In  a  few  days  more 
he  reached  the  islands  of  the  Coosa. 

In  a  letter  to  Governor  Blount  of  Tennessee,  from 
this  place,  speaking  of  the  difficulties  with  which  he 
was  assailed,  he  observes : — "  Indeed,  sir,  we  have 
been  very  wretchedly  supplied — scarcely  two  rations 
in  succession  have  been  regularly  drawn ;  yet  we  are 
not  despondent.  Whilst  we  can  procure  an  ear  of 
corn  apiece,  or  anything  that  will  answer  as  a  substi 
tute  for  it,  we  shall  continue  our  exertions  to  accom 
plish  the  object  for  which  we  were  sent.  The  cheer 
fulness  with  which  my  men  submit  to  privations  and 
are  ready  to  encounter  danger,  does  honour  to  the 
government  whose  rights  they  are  defending. 

"  Every  means  within  my  power  for  procuring  the 
requisite  supplies  for  my  army  I  have  taken,  and  am 
continuing  to  take.  East,  west,  north,  and  south  have 
been  applied  to  with  the  most  pressing  solicitation. 
The  Governor  of  Georgia,  in  a  letter  received  from 
him  this  evening,  informs  me  that  a  sufficiency  can  be 
had  in  his  state ;  but  does  not  signify  that  he  is  about 
to  take  any  measures  to  procure  it.  My  former  con 
tractor  has  been  superseded :  no  exertions  were  spared 


128     COMMENCEMENT    OF   THE    CREEK    WAR. 

by  him  to  fulfil  his  engagements ;  yet  the  inconveni 
ences  under  which  he  laboured  were  such  as  to  ren 
der  his  best  exertions  unavailing.  The  contract  has 
been  offered  to  one  who  will  be  able  to  execute  it :  if 
he  accepts  it,  my  apprehensions  will  be  greatly  dimi 
nished." 

Previous  to  his  departure  from  Thompson's  Creek, 
General  Jackson  had  detached  Colonel  Dyer,  with  in 
structions  to  attack  and  destroy  the  Indian  town  of 
Littafutches,  on  Canoe  Creek.  The  expedition  was 
entirely  successful,  and  twenty -nine  prisoners  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  victors.  Colonel  Dyer  rejoined  the 
main  army  on  the  28th  of  October. 

The  advance  of  the  East  Tennessee  militia,  not 
having  yet  come  up,  Jackson  despatched  another  ex 
press  to  General  White,  on  the  31st  of  October, 
urging  him  to  effect  a  speedy  junction,  and  to  bring 
with  him  all  the  bread-stuffs  it  should  be  in  his  power 
to  procure ;  pointing  out  to  him,  at  the  same  time,  the 
great  inconvenience  and  hazard  to  which  he  had  been 
already  exposed  by  the  want  of  punctuality  in  himself 
and  General  Cocke.  Owing  to  that  cause,  and  the 
late  failure  of  his  contractors,  he  represented  his  army 
as  placed,  at  present,  in  a  very  precarious  situation, 
and  as  dependent  in  a  great  measure  for  its  support 
on  the  exertions  which  he  and  General  Cocke  might 
be  pleased  to  make;  but  assured  him  at  the  same 
time,  that,  let  circumstances  transpire  as  they  might, 
he  would  still  endeavour  to  effect  his  purpose ;  and, 
at  all  events,  was  resolved  to  hasten,  with  every  prac 
ticable  despatch,  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  object 
for  which  he  had  set  out.  Believing  the  co-operation 


COMPLETES    HIS    ARRANGEMENTS.  129 


Bringing  in  Prisoners  and  Cattle. 

of  the  East  Tennessee  troops  essential  to  this  end, 
they  were  again  instructed  to  join  him  without  delay; 
for  he  could  not  conceive  it  to  be  correct  policy,  that 
troops  from  the  same  state,  pursuing  the  same  object, 
should  constitute  separate  and  distinct  armies,  and 
act  without  concert,  and  independently  of  each  other. 
He  entertained  no  doubt  but  that  his  order  would  be 
promptly  obeyed. 

The  next  evening  a  detachment  which  had  been 
sent  out  the  evening  before  returned,  bringing  with 
them,  besides  some  corn  and  beeves,  several  negroes 
and  Indians,  prisoners  of  the  war  party. 

Thus,  amidst  dangers,  disappointments,  and  diffi 
culties,  which  by  any  other  man  would  have  been  con 
sidered  insurmountable,  did  General  Jackson  com- 
17 


130    COMMENCEMENT    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 

mence  the  Creek  war.  An  English  writer*  speaking 
of  this  war  says  that  "  it  was  the  most  glorious  ex 
ploit  of  this  wonderful  man.  It  was  a  campaign 
meriting  greater  praise  than  ten  thousand  lives  like 
that  of  Wellington ;  and  yet  a  campaign,  which,  before 
his  time,  had  never  yet  been  heard  of  in  England."  In 
commencing  the  narration  of  the  events  of  the.  war, 
he  says,  he  "  need  not  bespeak  the  reader's  wonder 
and  admiration;  for  the  man  who  will  not  admire 
here,  is  hardly  worthy  of  the  name  of  man."  He  "de 
sires  the  English  reader  to  prepare  himself  for  a  series 
of  transactions  wholly  incredible,  were  they  not  at 
tested  by  piles  of  official  documents,  the  authenticity 
of  which  no  man  can  dispute." 

*  William  Gobbet,  M.  P.  for  Oidham. 


Lincoyer. 


CHAPTER    VI. 
TALLUSHATCHEE. 


TMPATIENT  of  the  delay, 
JL  General  Jackson  proceeded 
through  trackless  forests  and 
across  almost  impenetrable 
swamps,  determined  at  all 
hazards,  to  cut  his  way  to 
the  enemy,  and  end  the  war 
by  a  sudden  and  fatal  blow. 
11 


132  TALLUSHATCHEE. 

Though  almost  destitute  of  provisions,  with  few  men, 
but  poorly  equipped,  yet  he  turned  not  aside  to  the 
right  hand  nor  to  the  left  to  wait  for  reinforcements 
or  to  seek  supplies.  On  the  2d  of  November,  the  old 
chief,  Chinnaby,  brought  the  information  to  Jackson 
that  a  considerable  number  of  the  enemy  had  posted 
themselves  at  Tallushatchee,  an  Indian  town  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Coosa,  about  thirteen  miles  distant. 
General  Coffee  was  immediately  detached,  with  nine 
hundred  men,  consisting  of  part  of  his  brigade  of  ca 
valry  and  corps  of  mounted  riflemen,  with  instructions 
to  attack  and  defeat  or  disperse  the  enemy  at  Tallus 
hatchee.  Guided  by  a  friendly  Indian,  Coffee  crossed 
the  Coosa  at  the  Fish  Dams,  about  four  miles  above 
the  Islands,  and  encamped  on  the  southern  side  of  the 
river. 

Early  the  next  morning  he  proceeded  to  execute 
his  orders.  Having  arrived  within  a  mile  and  a  half, 
he  formed  his  detachment  into  two  divisions,  ordering 
one  of  them  under  Colonel  Allcorn  to  march  to  the 
right  of  the  town,  while  he  with  the  other  division 
passed  to  the  left ;  the  fronts  of  the  two  divisions  to 
unite  beyond  the  town  and  thus  effectually  enclose  it, 
and  prevent  the  escape  of  the  enemy. 

The  Indians,  hearing  by  their  spies  of  the  approach 
of  the  Americans,  began  to  prepare  for  action,  which 
was  announced  by  the  beating  of  drums,  mingled  with 
their  savage  yells  and  war-whoops.  An  hour  after 
sunrise  the  action  was  commenced  by  two  companies 
of  spies,  who  had  gone  within  the  circle  of  alignment 
for  the  purpose  of  drawing  the  Indians  from  their 
buildings.  No  sooner  had  these  companies  exhibited 


BAT.TLE    OF    T ALLUSHATCHEE.  135 

their  front  in  view  of  the  town,  and  given  a  few  scat 
tering  shot,  than  the  enemy  formed  and  made  a  violent 
charge.     Being  compelled  to  give  way,  the  advanced 
guard  were  pursued  until  they  reached  the  main  body 
of  the  army,  which  immediately  opened  a  general  fire, 
and  charged  in  their  turn.     The  Indians  retreated, 
firing,  until  they  got  around  and  into  their  buildings, 
where  an  obstinate  conflict  ensued,  and  where  those 
who  maintained  their  ground  persisted  in  fighting  as 
long  as  they  could  stand  or  sit,  without  manifesting 
fear  or  soliciting  quarter.     The  number  of  the  enemy 
killed  was  one  hundred  and  eighty-six.     Eighty-four 
women  and  children  were  taken  prisoners,  towards 
whom  the  greatest  humanity  was  shown.     Not  one 
of  the  warriors  escaped  to  carry  the  news — a  circum 
stance  heretofore  unknown.     Of  the  Americans,  five 
were  killed  and  forty-one  wounded.     Two  of  these 
were   killed  with   arrows,  which,   on   this  occasion, 
formed  a  principal  part  of  the  arms  of  the  Indians ; 
each  one  having  a  bow  and  quiver,  which  he  used 
after  the  first  fire  of  his  gun,  until  an  opportunity  oc 
curred  for  reloading. 

Having  buried  his  dead,  and  provided  for  his 
wounded,  General  Coffee,  late  on  the  evening  of  the 
same  day,  united  with  the  main  army,  bringing  with 
him  about  forty  prisoners.  Of  the  residue,  a  part  were 
too  badly  wounded  to  be  removed,  and  were  therefore 
left,  with  a  sufficient  number  to  take  care  of  them. 
Those  which  he  brought  in  received  every  comfort 
and  assistance  their  situation  demanded,  and,  for  safe 
ty,  were  immediately  sent  into  the  settlements. 

"  Among  these  there  was  an  infant  boy,  who  had 


136 


TALLUSHATCHEE, 


Adoption  of  Lincoyer. 


been  found  unhurt,  suckling  the  lifeless  breast  of  his 
Indian  mother.  Jackson  requested  the  captive  women 
to  take  care  of  the  child.  They  refused  ;  4  All  his  re- 


ADOPTION    OF    LINCOYER.  137 

lations,'  they  said, ;  are  dead — kill  him  too !'  Oh !  how 
those  words  thrilled  through  the  heart  of  the  orphan 
general!  'All  my  relations,  also,'  thought  he,  'are 
dead !'  He  took  the  infant  to  his  own  tent — with  his 
own  hands  he  fed  him  with  sugared  water — he  sent 
him  home  to  Nashville  to  become  the  adopted  child 
of  the  Hermitage — with  the  aid  of  his  willing  wife  he 
reared  that  boy  to  manhood,  educated  him  to  business, 
engaged  all  his  affections — and  when  Lincoyer  died, 
that  affectionate  and  childless  couple  wept  over  his 
grave  and  remembered  him  as  a  son."* 

From  the  manner  in  which  the  enemy  fought,  the 
killing  and  wounding  others  than  their  warriors  was 
not  to  be  avoided.  On  their  retreat  to  their  village 
after  the  commencement  of  the  battle,  they  resorted 
to  their  block-houses,  and  strong  log  dwellings,  whence 
they  kept  up  resistance,  and  resolutely  maintained  the 
fight.  Thus  mingled  with  their  women  and  children, 
it  was  impossible  they  should  not  be  exposed  to  the 
general  danger;  and  many  were  injured,  notwith 
standing  every  possible  precaution  was  taken  to  pre 
vent  it.  In  fact,  many  of  the  women  united  with  their 
warriors,  and  contended  in  the  battle  with  fearless 
bravery. 

"  Thus  ended  the  battle  of  Tallushatchee, — a  name 
that  will  ring  sadly  in  the  ear  of  every  surviving  Creek 
to  the  end  of  time.  The  terrors  of  that  field,  will, 
however,  be  remembered  by  all,  both  white  and  red, 
with  mingled  emotions,  for  it  bears  immortal  testimony 
to  the  humanity,  as  well  as  the  military  genius  of 
Jackson."  t 

*Bolles's  Eulogy.  *Ibid. 

18  W     11* 


138  TALLUSHATCHEE. 

The  country,  into  the  midst  of  which  General  Jack 
son  had  now  penetrated,  being  filled  with  bands  of 
hostile  Indians,  it  was  necessary  to  secure  a  commu 
nication  with  the  settlements,  by  establishing  garrisons 
at  proper  intervals  along  the  road.  He  accordingly 
took  measures  to  establish  a  permanent  depot,  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  Coosa,  at  the  Ten  Islands,  to  be 
protected  by  strong  picketing  and  block-houses. 
Well  knowing  that  it  would  greatly  weaken  his  army 
to  occupy  in  his  advance  the  different  points  neces 
sary  to  the  safety  of  his  rear,  it  was  desirable  to  unite 
as  soon  as  possible  with  the  troops  of  East  Tennessee. 
To  effect  this,  he  again,  on  the  4th  of  November,  de 
spatched  an  express  to  General  White,  who  had  pre 
viously  arrived  at  Turkey  Town,  a  Cherokee  village, 
about  twenty-five  miles  up  the  same  river,  urging  him 
to  unite  with  the  main  army  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
again  entreating  him  to  procure  and  forward  provi 
sions;  to  bring  with  him  such  as  he  had  on  hand ;  and 
to  endeavour  to  form  some  certain  arrangement  which 
might  ensure  a  supply  in  future.  Receiving  no  answer 
from  General  White,  he  despatched  another  express 
on  the  7th. 

No  certain  intelligence  had  as  yet  been  received 
of  any  considerable  collection  of  the  enemy.  The 
army  was  busily  engaged  in  fortifying  and  strengthen 
ing  the  site  fixed  upon  for  a  depot,  to  which  the  name 
of  Fort  Strother  had  been  given. 


The  Dinner  of  Acorns. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
TALL  ADEG  A. 

ATE  on  the  evening  of  the  7th 
of  November,  a  runner  arrived 
from  Talladega,  a  fort  of  the 
friendly  Indians,  distant  about 
thirty  miles  below,  with  in 
formation  that  the  enemy 
had,  that  morning,  encamped 
before  it  in  great  numbers, 
and  would  certainly  destroy  the  fort,  and  all  within  it, 
unless  immediate  assistance  could  be  afforded.  Jack- 


140  TALLADEGA. 

son  determined  to  lose  no  time  in  extending  the  relief 
which  was  solicited.  Understanding  that  General 
White  was  on  his  way  to  join  him,  he  despatched 
another  messenger  to  meet  him,  directing  him  to  reach 
Fort  Strother  in  the  course  of  the  ensuing  night,  and 
protect  it  in  his  absence.  He  then  gave  orders  for 
taking  up  the  line  of  march,  with  twelve  hundred  in 
fantry,  and  eight  hundred  cavalry  and  mounted  rifle 
men;  leaving  behind  the  sick,  the  wounded,  and  all 
his  baggage,  with  a  force  which  was  deemed  sufficient 
for  their  protection,  until  the  reinforcement  from 
Turkey  Town  should  arrive. 

The  friendly  Indians  who  had  taken  refuge  in  this 
oesieged  fort,  had  involved  themselves  in  their  present 
perilous  situation  from  a  disposition  to  preserve  their 
amicable  relations  with  the  United  States.  To  suffer 
them  to  fall  a  sacrifice  from  any  tardiness  of  move 
ment,  would  have  been  unpardonable  ;  and  unless  re 
lief  was  immediately  extended,  it  might  arrive  too  late. 
The  same  spirit  which  induced  the  general  to  hazard 
his  reputation  in  protecting  his  countrymen  at  Natchez, 
induced  him,  without  hesitation,  to  extend  protec 
tion  to  those  faithful  natives,  whose  fate  was  identi 
fied  with  the  success  or  defeat  of  the  American  arms. 

Acting  under  these  impressions,  the  general  deter 
mined  to  move  forward  instantly  to  their  assistance. 
By  midnight,  everything  was  in  readiness  ;  and  in  an 
hour  afterward  the  army  commenced  crossing  the 
river,  about  a  mile  above  the  camp,  each  of  the 
mounted  men  carrying  one  of  the  infantry  behind  him. 
The  river  at  this  place  was  six  hundred  yards  wide, 
and  it  being  necessary  to  send  back  the  horses  for  the 


FORCED    MARCH.  141 

remainder  of  the  infantry,  several  hours  were  con 
sumed  before  a  passage  of  all  the  troops  could  be  ef 
fected.  Nevertheless,  though  thus  deprived  of  sleep, 
they  continued  the  march  with  animation ;  and  by 
evening  the  next  day,  had  arrived  within  six  miles  of 
the  enemy. 

In  this  march,  Jackson  used  the  utmost  precaution 
to  prevent  surprise;  marching  his  army,  as  was  his 
constant  custom,  in  three  columns,  so  that,  by  a  speedy 
manoeuvre,  they  might  be  thrown  into  such  a  situation 
as  to  be  capable  of  resisting  an  attack  from  any 
quarter.  Having  judiciously  encamped  his  men  on 
an  eligible  piece  of  ground,  he  sent  forward  two  of  the 
friendly  Indians,  and  a  white  man,  named  May  field, 
who  had  for  many  years  been  detained  a  captive  in 
the  nation,  and  was  now  acting  as  interpreter,  to  re 
connoitre  the  position  of  the  enemy.  About  eleven 
o'clock  at  night  they  returned  with  information  that 
the  savages  were  posted  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of 
the  fort,  and  appeared  to  be  in  great  force ;  but  that 
they  had  not  been  able  to  approach  near  enough  to 
ascertain  either  their  numbers  or  precise  situation. 

Within  an  hour  after  this,  old  Chinnaby  arrived 
from  Turkey  Town,  with  a  letter  from  General  White, 
stating,  that  after  having  taken  up  the  line  of  march, 
to  unite  at  Fort  Strother,  he  had  received  orders  from 
General  Cocke  to  change  his  course,  and  proceed  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Chautugu  Creek.  It  was  most  dis 
tressing  intelligence  ;  the  sick  and  wounded  had  been 
left  with  no  other  calculation  for  their  safety  and  de 
fence,  than  that  this  detachment  of  the  army,  agree 
ably  to  his  request,  would,  by  advancing  upon  Fort 


142  TALLADEGA. 

Strother,  serve  the  double  purpose  of  protecting  his 
rear,  and  enabling  him  to  advance  still  farther  into  the 
enemy's  country.  The  information  which  was  now 
received  proved  that  all  those  salutary  anticipations 
were  at  an  end,  and  that  evils  of  the  worst  kind  might 
be  the  consequence.  Intelligence  so  disagreeable,  and 
so  unexpected,  filled  the  mind  of  Jackson  with  appre 
hensions  of  a  serious  and  alarming  character ;  and, 
dreading  lest  the  enemy,  by  taking  a  different  route, 
should  attack  his  encampment  in  his  absence,  he  de 
termined  to  lose  no  time  in  brinoino-  him  to  battle. 

o      o 

Orders  w^ere  accordingly  given  to  the  adjutant- 
general  to  prepare  the  line ;  and,  by  four  o'clock  the 
next  morning,  the  army  was  again  in  motion.  The 
infantry  proceeded  in  three  columns ;  the  cavalry  in 
the  same  order,  in  the  rear,  with  flankers  on  each 
wing.  The  advance,  consisting  of  a  company  of  ar- 
tillerests  with  muskets,  two  companies  of  riflemen, 
and  one  of  spies,  marched  about  four  hundred  yards  in 
front,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Carroll,  inspector- 
general,  with  orders,  after  commencing  the  action,  to 
fall  back  on  the  centre,  so  as  to  draw  the  enemy  after 
them.  At  seven  o'clock,  having  arrived  within  a  mile 
of  the  enemy,  the  columns  were  displayed  in  order  of 
battle.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  cavalry  and 
mounted  riflemen  were  placed  in  the  rear  of  the  centre 
as  a  corps  de  reserve.  General  Hall's  brigade  occu 
pied  the  right — General  Roberts'  the  left,  and  were 
ordered  to  advance  by  heads  of  companies.  The 
cavalry  were  ordered,  after  having  encircled  the  enemy 
by  uniting  the  fronts  of  their  columns  and  keeping 
their  rear  connected  with  the  infantry,  to  face  and 


BATTLE    OF    TALLADEGA,  145 

press  inwards  towards  the  centre,  so  as  to  leave  the 
enemy  no  possibility  of  escape. 

About  eight  o'clock,  the  advance  having  arrived 
within  eighty  yards  of  the  shrubbery,  which  covered 
the  margin  of  a  small  rivulet,  received  a  heavy  fire, 
which  they  instantly  returned  with  much  spirit. 
Agreeably  to  their  instructions,  they  retired  towards 
the  centre,  but  not  before  they  had  dislodged  the  ene 
my  from  his  position.  The  Indians,  now  screaming 
and  yelling  hideously,  rushed  forward  in  the  direction 
of  General  Roberts'  brigade,  three  companies  of  which, 
alarmed  by  the  number  and  yells  of  their  opponents, 
gave  way  after  the  first  fire.  To  fill  the  vacancy  oc 
casioned  by  this  retreat,  Jackson  ordered  up  the  regi 
ment  of  volunteers  commanded  by  Colonel  Bradley ; 
but,  finding  the  advance  of  the  enemy  too  rapid  to 
admit  of  their  arrival  in  time,  he  was  compelled  to 
order  the  reserve  to  dismount  and  fill  the  chasm. 
This  order  was  executed  with  great  promptitude  and 
gallantry,  and  the  enemy  in  that  quarter  speedily  re 
pulsed.  The  militia  who  had  retreated,  seeing  the 
spirited  manner  in  which  the  reserve  so  promptly  sup 
plied  their  places,  rallied,  and  recovering  their  former 
position  in  the  line,  aided  in  checking  the  advance  of 
the  savages.  The  engagement  now  became  general, 
and  in  fifteen  minutes  the  enemy  were  seen  flying  in 
every  direction.  On  the  left  they  were  met  and  re 
pulsed  by  the  mounted  riflemen.  On  the  right  a  part 
of  them  escaped  through  the  opening  between  the 
right  wing  of  the  cavalry  and  the  infantry,  which 
should  have  been  filled  by  Bradley's  regiment,  and 


19 


146  TALLADEGA. 

were  pursued  with  great  slaughter  to  the  mountains, 
a  distance  of  three  miles. 

Jackson,  in  his  report  of  this  action,  bestows  high 
commendation  on  the  officers  and  soldiers.  "  Too 
much  praise,"  he  observes  in  the  close  of  it,  "  cannot 
be  bestowed  on  the  advance,  led  by  Colonel  Carrol,  for 
the  spirited  manner  in  which  they  commenced  and 
sustained  the  attack;  nor  upon  the  reserve,  com 
manded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Dyer,  for  the  gallantry 
with  which  they  met  and  repulsed  the  enemy.  In  a 
word,  officers  of  every  grade,  as  well  as  privates,  rea 
lized  the  high  expectations  I  had  formed  of  them,  and 
merit  the  gratitude  of  their  country." 

"  Thus  did  this  gallant  little  army,  scarcely  pausing 
to  eat  their  meager  rations,  but  appeasing  their  hun 
ger  as  they  could  with  a  handful  of  parched  corn,  or 
a  few  acorns  snatched  from  the  ground  as  they  hur 
ried  on,  rush  ever  forward,  and  ere  the  besieging  force 
were  aware  of  the  presence  of  an  enemy,  they  were 
wholly  surrounded,  and  the  thunderbolt  of  war  over 
whelmed  them  with  sudden  destruction."* 

In  the  battle  of  Talladega  the  force  of  the  enemy 
was  one  thousand  and  eighty,  of  whom  two  hundred 
and  ninety-nine  were  left  dead  on  the  ground,  and  it 
is  believed  that  many  were  killed  in  the  flight,  who 
were  not  found  when  the  estimate  was  made.  Proba 
bly  few  escaped  unhurt.  Their  loss  on  this  occasion 
as  stated  since  by  themselves,  was  not  less  than  six 
hundred :  that  of  the  Americans  was  fifteen  killed  and 
eighty  wounded,  several  of  whom  afterwards  died. 

*Bolles's  Eulogy. 


RELIEF    OF    FORT    STROTHER.  ]47 

Jackson,  after  collecting  his  dead  and  wounded,  ad 
vanced  his  army  beyond  the  fort,  and  encamped  for 
the  night.  The  Indians  who  had  been  for  several 
days  shut  up  by  the  besiegers,  thus  fortunately  libe 
rated  from  the  most  dreadful  apprehensions  and  se 
verest  privations,  having  for  some  time  been  entirely 
without  water,  received  the  army  with  all  the  demon 
strations  of  gratitude  that  savages  could  give.  Their 
manifestations  of  joy  for  their  deliverance  presented  an 
interesting  and  affecting  spectacle.  Their  fears  had 
been  greatly  excited,  for  it  was  the  very  day  when 
they  were  to  have  been  assaulted,  and  when  every 
soul  within  the  fort  must  have  perished.  All  the  pro 
visions  they  could  spare  from  their  scanty  stock  they 
sold  to  the  general,  who,  purchasing  with  his  own  mo 
ney,  distributed  them  among  the  soldiers  who  were 
almost  destitute. 

With  great  regret  Jackson  found  himself  unable  to 
follow  up  his  victory.  The  condition  of  the  posts  in 
his  rear,  the  want  of  provisions,  the  desertion  (for  no 
milder  name  can  be  applied  to  these  proceedings)  of 
General  Cocke,  compelled  him  to  hasten  back.  The 
enemy  thus  gained  time  to  recover  from  their  conster 
nation,  and  to  reassemble  their  forces. 

The  cause  which  prevented  General  White  from 
acting  in  obedience  to  his  order,  and  arriving  at  Fort 
Strother  at  a  moment  when  it  was  so  important,  and 
when  it  was  so  confidently  expected,  was  as  yet  un 
known  to  the  general ;  the  only  certainty  upon  the 
subject  was,  that  for  the  present  it  wholly  thwarted 
his  views,  and  laid  him  under  the  painful  necessity  of 
returning,  instead  of  penetrating  father  into  the  en- 
12 


148  TALLADEGA. 

emy's  country.  This  mystery,  hitherto  inexplicable, 
was  some  time  after  explained,  by  a  view  of  the  order 
of  General  Cocke,  under  which  White,  being  a  briga 
dier  in  his  division,  chose  to  act,  rather  than  under 
Jackson's.  General  Cocke  stated  to  him  that  he  had 
called  a  council  of  officers,  who  had  unanimously  de 
cided  not  to  follow  Jackson,  but  to  cross  the  river, 
and  proceed  against  the  Creek  settlements  on  the  Tal- 
lapoosa.  This  decision  meeting  with  Cocke's  appro 
bation,  he  directed  White  forthwith  to  unite  with  him 
at  his  encampment.  The  only  aim  of  Cocke  in  this 
proceeding  seems  to  have  been  to  thwart  the  views 
and  arrest  the  successes  of  Jackson  ;  and  perhaps 
jealousy,  in  no  inconsiderable  degree,  was  the  moving 
spring  to  his  conduct.  Both  were  major-generals 
from  the  state  of  Tennessee,  sent  on  the  same  im 
portant  errand,  to  check  an  insolent  foe,  who  had 
practised  the  most  cruel  and  unprovoked  outrages. 
Jackson  was  the  senior  officer  of  the  Tennessee 
forces,  and  of  course  claimed  the  right  of  commanding 
the  whole  that  were  in  service.  Cocke  considered 
himself  as  possessing  a  command  independent  of 
Jackson.  This  circumstance  produced  division,  and 
a  collision  of  orders,  when  all  should  have  been  union 
and  harmony,  and,  as  we  shall  see,  was  the  means  of 
greatly  lengthening  the  war. 

Having  buried  his  dead  with  the  honours  of  war, 
and  provided  litters  for  the  wounded,  General  Jackson 
reluctantly  commenced  his  return  march  on  the  morn 
ing  succeeding  the  battle.  In  this  short  march  the 
soldiers  were  reduced  to  the  last  extremity  for  want 
of  provisions.  "  A  soldier  in  the  rear  of  the  army 


DINNER    OF    ACORNS.  149 

perceived  Jackson  seated  under  an  oak  tree,  leisurely 
eating.*  '  Well,'  thought  he,  'the  general  has  taken 
good  care  of  himself,  and  left  the  poor  soldier  to  starve. 
I  '11  go  and  beg  a  morsel  of  bread.'  '  Yes,'  said  the 
general,  '  I  never  turn  away  the  hungry ;'  and  offering 
a  handful  of  acorns,  added,  '  I  will  most  cheerfully  di 
vide  with  you  such  food  as  I  have.'  The  soldier  gazed 
with  tearful  and  mute  admiration  on  his  now  thrice 
beloved  chief,  and  marched  on  with  a  more  cheerful 
heart.  There  is  nothing  the  soldier  will  not  endure, 
when  shared  by  his  leader."t 

The  general  confidently  hoped,  from  the  previous 
assurances  of  the  contractors,  that  by  the  time  of  his 
return  to  Fort  Strother,  sufficient  supplies  would  have 
arrived  there  ;  but,  to  his  inexpressible  uneasiness,  he 
found  that  not  a  particle  had  been  forwarded  since  his 
departure,  and  that,  what  had  been  left,  was  already 
consumed.  A  scanty  supply  of  beef,  taken  from  the 
enemy,  or  purchased  of  the  Cherokees,  was  now  the 
only  support  afforded.  Thus  left  destitute,  Jackson, 
with  the  utmost  cheerfulness  of  temper,  repaired  to 
the  bullock-pen ;  and  of  the  offal  there  thrown  away, 
provided  for  himself  and  staff,  what  he  was  pleased 
to  call,  and  seemed  really  to  think,  a  very  comfortable 
repast. 

While  General  Jackson  remained  wholly  unmoved 
by  his  own  privations,  he  was  filled  with  solicitude 
and  concern  for  his  army.  His  utmost  exertions,  un 
ceasingly  applied,  were  insufficient  to  remove  the  suf 
ferings  to  which  he  saw  them  exposed ;  and,  though 

*  See  page  1 27.  t  Garland's  Eulogy. 


150 


TALLADEGA. 


Soldiers  concocting  Muliny. 


they  were  by  no  means  so  great  as  they  themselves 
represented,  yet  were  undoubtedly  such  as  to  be  se 
verely  felt.  "  The  general  had  now  to  contend  with 
a  more  formidable  enemy  even  than  famine — mutiny 
in  his  own  camp.  The  main  body  of  the  army  con 
sisted  of  two  regiments — the  regiment  of  volunteers 
that  had  followed  him  to  Natchez  the  winter  before — 
and  a  regiment  of  drafted  militia.  The  militia,  dis 
gusted  with  the  neglect  and  ill-treatment  they  had 
received,  instigated  by  their  officers,  and  seized  with 
the  home-fever,  resolved  to  quit  the  camp,  and  return 
to  Tennessee.  Apprised  of  their  design,  Jackson  drew 
up  the  regiment  of  volunteers  in  their  front,  and  or 
dered  them  to  fire  whenever  the  mutineers  com 


MUTINY.  151 

menced  their  march.  Awed  by  this  act  of  boldness, 
the  militia  returned  to  their  duty. 

"  What  was  the  mortification  of  the  general,  next 
morning,  to  find  the  volunteers  themselves  in  a  state 
of  rebellion !  Those  very  men  whom  he  would  not 
abandon  in  their  hour  of  need,  were  now  ready  to 
abandon  him,  their  camp,  and  their  duty.  Unappalled 
by  this  rapid  succession  of  calamities,  the  ready  mind 
and  prompt  will  of  Jackson  did  not  fail  him.  The 
militia,  whose  rebellion  had  been  conquered  but  the 
day  before,  were  now  drawn  up  to  oppose  this  new 
mutiny;  and  so  stern  and  resolute  were  their  counte 
nances,  that  the  volunteers  thought  it  best  to  desist 
from  their  purposes,  and  return  to  camp."* 

From  this  time  the  militia  manifested  a  much  more 
obedient  and  patriotic  disposition  than  the  volunteers ; 
who,  having  adopted  a  course  which  they  discovered 
must  finally  involve  them  in  dishonour  if  it  should  fail, 
were  exceedingly  anxious  for  its  success,  and  that  it 
might  have  the  appearance  of  being  founded  on  justice. 
On  this  subject  the  pretensions  of  the  cavalry  were 
certainly  much  better  established ;  as  they  were  en 
tirely  without  forage,  and  without  any  prospect  of  soon 
obtaining  any.  They  petitioned,  therefore,  to  be  per 
mitted  to  return  into  the  settled  parts  of  the  country, 
pledging  themselves,  by  their  platoon  and  field-officers, 
that  if  sufficient  time  were  allowed  to  recruit  the  ex 
hausted  state  of  their  horses,  and  to  procure  their 
winter  clothing,  they  would  return  to  the  performance 
of  their  duty  whenever  called  on.  The  general,  un- 

*  Garland's  Eulogy. 
12* 


152  TALLADEGA. 

able  from  many  causes  to  prosecute  the  campaign, 
and  confiding  in  the  assurance  given,  granted  the 
prayer  of  their  petition,  and  they  immediately  set  out 
on  their  return. 

About  this  time  General  Jackson's  hope  of  being 
able  to  maintain  the  conquests  he  had  made,  began 
to  be  confirmed  by  letters  just  received  from  the 
contractors,  and  principal  wagon-masters,  stating  that 
sufficient  supplies  for  the  army  were  then  on  the  road, 
and  would  shortly  arrive ;  but  discontents,  to  an 
alarming  degree,  still  prevailed  in  his  camp.  To  allay 
them,  if  possible,  he  hastened  to  lay  before  the  division 
the  information  and  letters  he  had  received  ;  and,  at 
the  same  time,  invited  the  field  and  platoon-officers  to 
his  quarters,  to  consult  on  the  measures  to  be  pur 
sued.  Having  assembled  them,  and  well  knowing  that 
the  flame  of  discontent,  which  had  so  lately  shown 
itself,  was  only  for  the  present  smothered,  and  might 
burst  forth  in  serious  injury,  he  addressed  them  in  an 
animated  speech,  in  which  he  extolled  their  patriotism 
and  achievements ;  lamented  the  privations  to  which 
they  had  been  exposed,  and  endeavoured  to  reanimate 
them  by  the  prospect  of  speedy  relief,  which  he  ex 
pected  with  confidence  on  the  following  day.  He 
spoke  of  the  conquests  they  had  already  made,  and 
of  the  dreadful  consequences  that  must  result  should 
they  now  be  abandoned. 

"What,"  continued  he,  "is  the  present  situation 
of  our  camp?  a  number  of  our  fellow-soldiers  are 
wounded  and  unable  to  help  themselves.  Shall  it  be 
said  that  we  are  so  lost  to  humanity  as  to  leave  them 
in  this  condition  ?  Can  any  one,  under  these  circum- 


SCARCITY    OF    PROVISIONS.  153 

stances  and  under  these  prospects,  consent  to  an 
abandonment  of  the  camp ;  of  all  that  we  have  ac 
quired  in  the  midst  of  so  many  difficulties,  privations, 
and  dangers ;  of  what  it  will  cost  us  so  much  to  re 
gain;  of  what  we  never  can  regain, — our  brave 
wounded  companions  who  will  be  murdered  by  our 
unthinking,  unfeeling  inhumanity  ?  Surely  there  can 
be  none  such  !  No,  we  will  take  with  us  when  we  go, 
our  wounded  and  sick.  They  must  not, — shall  not 
perish  by  our  cold  blooded  indifference.  But  why 
should  you  despond  ?  I  do  not,  and  yet  your  wants 
are  not  greater  than  mine.  To  be  sure,  we  do  not 
live  sumptuously :  but  no  one  has  died  of  hunger,  or 
is  likely  to  die ;  and  then  how  animating  are  our  pros 
pects!  Large  supplies  are  at  Deposit,  and  already 
are  officers  despatched  to  hasten  them  on.  Wagons 
are  on  the  way ;  a  large  number  of  beeves  are  in  the 
neighbourhood;  and  detachments  are  out  to  bring 
them  in. — All  these  resources  surely  cannot  fail.  I 
have  no  wish  to  starve  you — none  to  deceive  you. 
Stay  contentedly,  and  if  supplies  do  not  arrive  in  two 
days,  we  will  all  march  back  together,  and  throw  the 
blame  of  our  failure  where  it  should  properly  lie ;  un 
til  then,  we  certainly  have  the  means  of  subsisting ; 
and  if  we  are  compelled  to  bear  privations,  let  us  re 
member  that  they  are  borne  for  our  country,  and  are 
not  greater  than  many,  perhaps  most  armies  have 
been  compelled  to  endure.  I  have  called  you  together 
to  tell  you  my  feelings  and  my  wishes ;  this  evening 
think  on  them  seriously ;  and  let  me  know  yours  in 
the  morning." 

Having  retired  to  their  tents  and  deliberated  on  the 
20 


164  TALLADEGA. 

measures  most  proper  to  be  adopted  in  this  emergency, 
the  officers  of  the  volunteer  brigade  came  to  the  con 
clusion  that  "  nothing  short  of  marching  the  army  im 
mediately  back  to  the  settlements  could  prevent  those 
difficulties  and  that  disgrace  which  must  attend  a  for 
cible  desertion  of  the  camp  by  his  soldiers."  The  of 
ficers  of  the  militia  determined  differently,  and  report 
ed  a  willingness  to  maintain  the  post  a  few  days  lon 
ger,  that  it  might  be  ascertained  whether  or  not  a  suf 
ficiency  of  provisions  could  be  had.  "  If  it  can,  let  us 
proceed  with  the  campaign ; — if  not,  let  us  be  marched 
back  to  where  it  can  be  procured."  The  general,  who 
greatly  preferred  the  latter  opinion,  was  nevertheless 
disposed  to  gratify  those  who  appeared  unwilling  to 
submit  to  further  hardships ;  and  with  this  view  or 
dered  General  Hall  to  march  the  volunteers  to  Fort 
Deposit,  and  after  satisfying  their  wants,  to  return, 
and  act  as  an  escort  to  the  provisions.  One-half  of 
the  brigade  however,  unwilling  to  be  outdone  by  the 
militia,  consented  to  remain,  and  the  other  half  pro 
ceeded  alone.  On  this  occasion  he  could  not  forbear 
to  remark,  that  men  for  whom  he  cherished  so  strong 
an  affection,  and  for  whom  he  was  willing  to  sacrifice 
every  thing  but  honour,  desiring  to  abandon  him  at  a 
moment  when  their  presence  was  so  particularly  ne 
cessary,  filled  him  with  emotions  which  the  strongest 
language  was  too  feeble  to  express.  "I  was  pre 
pared,"  he  continued,  "  to  endure  every  evil  but  dis 
grace,  and  as  I  never  can  submit  to  this  myself,  I  can 
give  no  encouragement  to  it  in  others." 

Two  days  had  now  elapsed  since  the  departure  of 
the  volunteers,  and  no  supplies  had  arrived.     The  mi- 


QUELLS    THE    MUTINY,  157 

litia  with  great  earnestness  demanded  a  performance 
of  the  pledge  which  had  been  given  them,  that  they 
should  be  marched  back  to  the  settlements.  From 
information  lately  received,  Jackson  was  confident 
that  relief  was  not  far  distant ;  but  having  pledged  him 
self,  he  could  use  no  arguments  or  entreaties  to  de 
tain  them  any  longer,  and  immediately  took  measures 
for  complying  with  their  wishes  and  the  promise  he 
had  made  them.  This  was  to  him  a  moment  of  the 
deepest  dejection.  While  thus  pondering  on  the 
gloomy  prospects,  he  lifted  up  his  hands  and  ex 
claimed,  with  a  look  and  manner  which  showed  how 
much  he  felt,  "If  only  two  men  will  remain  with 
me,  I  will  never  abandon  this  post."  Captain  Gordon, 
of  the  spies,  facetiously  replied,  "  You  have  one,  gene 
ral,  let  us  look  if  we  can't  find  another ;"  and  imme 
diately,  with  a  zeal  suited  to  the  occasion,  undertook, 
with  some  of  the  general's  staff,  to  raise  volunteers  ; 
and,  in  a  little  while,  succeeded  in  procuring  one 
hundred  and  nine,  who  declared  a  determination  to 
remain  and  protect  the  post. 

The  general  then  set  out  towards  Deposit  with  the 
remainder  of  the  army,  who  were  made  distinctly  to 
understand  that,  on  meeting  supplies,  they  were  to 
return  and  prosecute  the  campaign.  They  did  meet 
supplies,  not  far  from  the  camp ;  but,  so  far  from  re 
turning,  they  seemed  more  determined  to  go  forward. 
Going  alone  among  his  men,  to  appease  them  by  ar 
gument  and  remonstrance,  Jackson  found  the  spirit 
of  mutiny  so  prevalent  and  determined,  that  he  seized 
a  musket,  stood  out  in  front  of  the  brigade,  and,  being 
still  without  the  use  of  his  left  arm,  levelled  the 


158  TALLADEGA. 

weapon  across  the  neck  of  his  horse,  and  proclaimed 
that  the  first  man  who  moved  in  the  ranks  should  be 
shot  down.  Mute  astonishment  seized  on  the  whole 
army — no  one  moved — no  one  spoke.  What  was 
one  emaciated  and  wounded  man  to  a  thousand — one 
musket  to  a  thousand  in  the  hands  of  unerring  marks 
men  ?  It  was  not  fear  that  awed  these  brave  men, 
but  astonishment  and  admiration  at  the  daring,  the 
magnanimity,  and  heroic  self-sacrifice  of  the  man  that 
stood  before  them.  A  murmur  of  applause  ran  along 
the  lines,  and  they  signified  their  willingness  to  return.* 
It  is  very  certain  that  but  for  the  firmness  of  the  gene 
ral  at  this  critical  moment,  the  campaign  wonld  for 
the  present  have  been  broken  up,  and  would  probably 
never  have  been  recommenced. 

*  Garland's  Eulogy. 


Hillabee  Deputies. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

HILLABEE    T  0  W  N  S  —  D  E  S  E  R  T  I  0  N  S    AND 
MUTINY  — GEORGIA    VICTORIES. 


SHORT  time  after  the 
victory  at  Talladega, 
General  Jackson  re 
ceived  deputies  from 
the  Hillabee  tribes, 


160  HILLABEE    DEPUTIES. 

who  had  formed  the  principal  strength  of  the  enemy, 
offering  to  make  peace  ;  and  expressing  their  willing 
ness  to  agree  to  any  conditions  he  might  think  proper 
to  impose.  He  informed  them,  in  answer  to  their  re 
quest,  that  the  war  had  only  been  waged  to  defend 
the  frontiers  from  the  aggressions  of  the  Indians,  and 
to  bring  to  a  proper  sense  of  duty  a  people  to  whom 
his  government  had  ever  shown  the  utmost  kindness, 
and  who,  nevertheless,  had  committed  against  her 
citizens  the  most  unprovoked  depredations  ;  and  that 
it  would  end  only  when  it  should  become  certain  that 
this  object  was  attained. 

"  Upon  those,"  continued  he,  "  who  are  disposed 
to  become  friendly,  I  neither  wish  nor  intend  to  make 
war ;  but  they  must  afford  evidences  of  the  sincerity 
of  their  professions ;  the  prisoners  and  property  they 
have  taken  from  us  and  the  friendly  Creeks  must  be 
restored ;  the  instigators  of  the  war,  and  the  murderers 
of  our  citizens,  must  be  surrendered ;  the  latter  must 
and  will  be  made  to  feel  the  force  of  our  resentment. 
Long  shall  they  remember  Fort  Mimms  in  bitterness 
and  tears." 

These  propositions  would  doubtless  have  been  ac 
ceded  to,  had  not  the  course  pursued  by  General 
Cocke  broken  off  all  the  negotiations.  That  officer 
was  informed  by  General  Jackson  of  the  applications 
of  the  Hillabees,  and  the  nature  of  the  answer  he  had 
sent  to  them ;  but  he  had  previously  detached  General 
White,  with  orders  to  proceed  against  and  destroy 
their  towns.  He  commenced  his  march  on  the  llth 
of  November ;  his  force  consisting  of  a  regiment  of 
mounted  infantry  under  Colonel  Burch,  a  battalion  of 


DESTRUCTION    OF    THE    HILLABEES.         161 

cavalry  under  Major  Porter,  and  three  hundred  Chero- 
kees  commanded  by  Colonel  Morgan.  On  his  route 
he  passed  and  destroyed  the  towns  of  Little  Oakfusku 
and  Genatga,  consisting,  the  first  of  thirty,  the  second 
of  ninety-three  houses.  The  town  called  Nitty  Chop- 
toa  was  preserved,  in  the  supposition  that  it  might  be 
useful  at  some  future  period.  On  the  17th,  after 
marching  more  than  one  hundred  miles,  he  arrived  in 
the  vicinity  of  a  town  containing  a  considerable  force 
of  Indians.  Colonels  Burch  and  Morgan  were  sent 
forward  by  General  White,  with  the  infantry  and 
Cherokees,  to  surround  the  town  and  prevent  any  of 
the  enemy  from  escaping.  They  not  only  executed 
their  orders,  but  captured  it  before  the  arrival  of  the 
rest  of  the  detachment,  without  losing  a  single  man. 
Sixty  of  the  Hillabee  warriors  were  killed,  and  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  of  their  women  and  children 
taken  prisoners.  The  fact  of  such  slaughter  being 
committed  among  them,  while  the  American  troops 
sustained  no  loss,  and  had  not  even  a  man  injured, 
can  only  be  accounted  for  by  the  supposition  that  the 
Hillabees  considered  it  dishonourable  to  fight  with 
those  with  whom  they  were  negotiating  for  peace. 
Regarding  the  detachment  under  General  White  as  a 
part  of  Jackson's  army,  and  believing  the  attack  upon 
them  to  have  been  made  by  his  direction,  they  lost 
confidence  in  him,  and  refused  ever  afterwards  to  make 
any  terms  of  peace.  From  this  time  they  would  never 
give  or  receive  quarter,  preferring  death  to  submission, 
and  revenging  upon  those  who  fell  into  their  power 
the  treachery,  as  they  deemed  it,  of  the  American 
general. 

21  1« 


162  MUTINY. 

In  the  meantime  General  Jackson  proceeded  to 
Deposit  and  Ditto's  Landing,  where  the  most  effectual 
means  in  his  power  were  taken  with  the  contractors 
for  obtaining  regular  supplies  in  future.  There  also 
he  learned  that  the  whole  of  the  detachment  from 
Tennessee  had  been  received  by  the  president  into 
the  service  of  the  United  States,  and  he  began  to  think 
that  the  difficulties  he  had  hitherto  encountered  would 
not  recur,  and  that  now  his  operations  could  no  more 
be  impeded  by  a  want  of  supplies.  He  was  mistaken. 
The  volunteers  at  Deposit  were  only  restrained  from 
breaking  out  into  opeu  mutiny  by  an  animated  ad 
dress  of  the  general,  who,  having  assembled  them  to 
gether,  painted  in  the  most  glowing  colours,  all  the 
consequences  that  were  to  be  apprehended,  if  from 
any  defection  of  theirs,  the  campaign  should  be  aban 
doned,  or  ineffectually  prosecuted. 

On  his  return  to  Fort  Strother,  he  found  the  volun 
teers,  now  that  they  no  longer  had  any  reason  to  cla 
mour  for  bread,  were  as  noisy  and  earnest  in  calling 
for  their  discharge.  They  insisted  that  having  volun 
teered  to  serve  one  year  out  of  two,  they  would  be 
entitled  to  their  discharge  on  the  tenth  of  December, 
that  being  the  termination  of  a  year  from  the  day  they 
had  first  entered  the  service ;  and  that  although  they 
had  been  a  greater  part  of  the  time  disengaged  and 
unemployed,  that  recess  was,  nevertheless,  to  be  taken 
into  computation.  Jackson  replied  that  the  law  of 
Congress  under  which  their  services  had  been  accept 
ed  could  contemplate  nothing  less  than  actual  active 
service  of  twelve  months  out  of  twenty-four ;  and  until 


LETTER    TO    MR.    BLACKBURN.  163 

that  was  performed,  he  could  not,  unless  specially  au 
thorized,  undertake  to  discharge  them. 

Foreseeing  the  consequences  which  might  result  if 
they  persisted  in  their  refusal  to  serve  beyond  the 
10th  of  December,  the  general  began  to  provide  other 
means  for  a  continuance  of  the  campaign,  that,  even 
if  they  all  deserted  him,  he  might  still  be  prepared  to 
act.  Accordingly,  he  ordered  General  Roberts  to  re 
turn  and  fill  up  the  deficiencies  in  his  brigade,  and 
despatched  Colonel  Carroll  and  Major  Searcy  into 
Tennessee,  to  raise  volunteers  to  serve  six  months,  or 
during  the  war.  He  also  wrote  pressing  letters  to 
many  respectable  and  influential  men,  exhorting  them 
to  contribute  their  assistance  to  the  accomplishment 
of  this  object.  To  a  letter  just  received  from  the  Re 
verend  Gideon  Blackburn,  assuring  him  that  volun 
teers  from  Tennessee  would  eagerly  hasten  to  his  re 
lief  if  they  knew  their  services  were  wanted,  he  replied, 

"Reverend  Sir, — Your  letter  has  been  just  re 
ceived  :  I  thank  you  for  it ;  I  thank  you  most  sincere 
ly.  It  arrived  at  a  moment  when  my  spirits  needed 
such  a  support. 

"  I  left  Tennessee  with  an  army,  brave,  I  believe, 
as  any  general  ever  commanded.  I  have  seen  them  in 
battle,  and  my  opinion  of  their  bravery  is  not  changed; 
but  their  fortitude — on  this  too  I  relied — has  been  too 
severely  tested.  Perhaps  I  was  wrong  in  believing 
that  nothing  but  death  could  conquer  the  spirits  of 
brave  men.  I  am  sure  I  was ;  for  my  men  I  know  are 
brave,  yet  privations  have  rendered  them  discontent 
ed  :  that  is  enough.  The  expedition  must  neverthe 
less  be  prosecuted  to  a  successful  termination.  New 


164  LETTER    TO    MR.    BLACKBURN. 

volunteers  must  be  raised  to  conclude  what  has  been 
so  auspiciously  begun  by  the  old  ones.  Gladly  would 
I  save  these  men  from  themselves,  and  ensure  them  a 
harvest  which  they  have  sown ;  but  if  they  will  aban 
don  it  to  others,  it  must  be  so. 

"  You  are  good  enough  to  say,  if  I  need  your  as 
sistance,  it  will  be  cheerfully  afforded.  I  do  need  it 
greatly.  The  influence  you  possess  over  the  minds  of 
men  is  great  and  well  founded,  and  can  never  be  better 
applied  than  in  summoning  volunteers  to  the  defence 
of  their  country,  their  liberty,  and  their  religion. 
While  we  fight  the  savage,  who  makes  war  only 
because  he  delights  in  blood,  and  who  has  gotten  his 
booty  when  he  has  scalped  his  victim,  we  are,  through 
him,  contending  against  an  enemy  of  more  inveterate 
character,  and  deeper  design,  who  would  demolish  a 
fabric  cemented  by  the  blood  of  our  fathers,  and  en 
deared  to  us  by  all  the  happiness  we  enjoy.  So  far 
as  my  exertions  can  contribute,  the  purposes,  both  of 
the  savage  and  his  instigator,  shall  be  defeated  ;  and, 
so  far  as  yours  can,  I  hope — I  know,  they  will  be  em 
ployed.  I  have  said  enough — I  want  men,  and  want 
them  immediately." 

Knowing  that  the  discontents  could  only  be  finally 
dispelled  from  the  minds  of  his  troops  by  active  em 
ployment,  and  anxious  to  prosecute  the  campaign  as 
soon  as  possible,  he  wrote  (Dec.  6th)  to  General 
Cocke,  desiring  him  to  unite  with  him  immediately,  at 
the  Ten  Islands,  with  fifteen  hundred  men.  He  assured 
him  that  the  mounted  men  who  had  returned  to  the 
settlements  for  subsistence,  and  to  recruit  their  horses, 
would  arrive  by  the  12th  of  the  month.  He  wished 


COLONEL   MARTIN'S    LETTER.  165 

to  commence  his  operations  directly,  "  knowing  they 
would  be  prepared  for  it,  and  well  knowing  they  would 
require  it." 

In  the  meantime,  the  volunteers,  through  several 
of  their  officers,  continued  to  press  on  the  consideration 
of  the  general,  the  subject  of  their  term  of  service,  and 
claimed  to  be  discharged  on  the  10th  instant.  From 
Colonel  Martin,  who  commanded  the  second  regiment, 
he  received  a  letter,  dated  the  4th  of  December,  1813, 
in  which  was  attempted  to  be  detailed  their  whole 
ground  of  complaint.  He  began  by  stating  that  much 
as  it  pained  him,  he  felt  himself  bound  to  disclose  a 
very  unpleasant  truth;  that  on  the  10th  the  service 
would  be  deprived  of  the  regiment  he  commanded. 
He  seemed  to  deplore  with  great  sensibility  the  scene 
that  would  be  exhibited  on  that  day,  should  opposition 
be  made  to  their  departure ;  and  still  more  sensibly, 
the  consequences  that  would  result  from  a  disorderly 
abandonment  of  the  camp.  He  stated  they  had  all 
thought  themselves  finally  discharged  on  the  20th  of 
April  last,  and  never  knew  to  the  contrary  until  they 
saw  the  order  of  the  24th  of  September,  requiring 
them  to  rendezvous  at  Fayetteville,  on  the  4th  of  Oc 
tober;  for  the  first  time  they  had  learned  that  they 
owed  further  services,  their  discharge  to  the  contrary 
notwithstanding.  "  Thus  situated,  there  was  consider 
able  opposition  to  the  order;  on  which  the  officers 
generally,  as  I  am  advised,  and  I  know  myself  in  par 
ticular,  gave  it  as  an  unequivocal  opinion,  that  their 
term  of  service  would  terminate  on  the  10th  of  De 
cember. 

"  They  therefore  look  to  their  general,  who  holds 
13* 


166  MUTINY. 

their  confidence,  for  an  honourable  discharge  on  that 
day ;  and  that  in  every  respect,  he  will  see  that  justice 
be  done  them.  They  regret  that  their  peculiar  situa 
tions  and  circumstances  require  them  to  leave  their 
general  at  a  time  when  their  services  are  important 
to  the  common  cause.  It  would  be  desirable,"  he 
continued,  "  that  those  men  who  have  served  with  ho 
nour,  should  be  honourably  discharged,  and  that  they 
should  return  to  their  families  and  friends,  without 
even  the  semblance  of  disgrace ;  with  their  general 
they  leave  it  to  place  them  in  that  situation.  They 
have  received  him  as  an  affectionate  father,  whilst 
they  have  honoured,  revered,  and  obeyed  him ;  but 
having  devoted  a  considerable  time  to  the  service  of 
their  country,  by  which  their  domestic  concerns  are 
greatly  deranged,  they  wish  to  return,  and  attend  to 
their  own  affairs." 

Although  this  communication  announced  the  deter 
mination  of  only  a  part  of  the  volunteer  brigade,  he 
had  already  abundant  evidence  that  the  defection  was 
but  too  general.  The  difficulties  which  the  general 
had  heretofore  to  encounter,  from  the  discontents  of 
his  troops,  might  well  induce  him  to  regret  the  threat 
ened  reappearance  in  his  camp  of  the  spirit  of  insubor 
dination.  That  he  might,  if  possible,  prevent  it,  he 
hastened  to  lay  before  them  the  error  and  impropriety 
of  their  views,  and  the  consequence  involved,  should 
they  persist  in  their  purpose. 

"  I  know  not,"  he  observed,  "  what  scenes  will  be 
exhibited  on  the  10th  instant,  nor  what  consequences 
are  to  flow  from  them  here  or  elsewhere ;  but  as  I 
shall  have  the  consciousness  that  they  are  not  impu- 


LETTER   TO    THE    ARMY. 

table  to  any  misconduct  of  mine,  I  trust  I  shall  have 
the  firmness  not  to  shrink  from  a  discharge  of  my 
duty. 

"  It  will  be  well,  however,  for  those  who  intend  to 
become  actors  in  those  scenes,  and  who  are  about  to 
hazard  so  much  on  the  correctness  of  their  opinions, 
to  examine  beforehand,  with  great  caution  and  de 
liberation,  the  grounds  on  which  their  pretensions 
rest.  Are  they  founded  on  any  false  assurances  of 
mine,  or  upon  any  deception  that  has  been  practised 
towards  them?  Was  not  the  act  of  Congress,  under 
which  they  are  engaged,  directed  by  my  general 
order,  to  be  read  and  expounded  to  them  before 
they  enrolled  themselves  ?  That  order  will  testify, 
and  so  will  the  recollection  of  every  general  officer  of 
my  division.  It  is  not  pretended  that  those  who  now 
claim  to  be  discharged,  were  not  legally  and  fairly  en 
rolled,  under  the  act  of  Congress,  on  the  6th  of  Febru 
ary,  1812.  Have  they  performed  the  service  required 
of  them  by  that  act,  and  which  they  then  solemnly 
undertook  to  perform  ?  That  required  one  year's 
service  out  of  two,  to  be  computed  from  the  day  of 
rendezvous,  unless  they  should  be  sooner  discharged, 
Has  one  year's  service  been  performed  ?  This  cannot 
be  seriously  pretended.  Have  they  then  been  dis 
charged?  It  is  said  they  have,  and  by  me.  To 
account  for  so  extraordinary  a  belief,  it  may  be  ne 
cessary  to  take  a  review  of  past  circumstances. 

"  More  than  twelve  months  have  elapsed  since  we 
were  called  upon  to  avenge  the  injured  rights  of  our 
country.  We  obeyed  the  call !  In  the  midst  of 
hardships,  which  none  but  those  to  whom  liberty  is? 


168  LETTER   TO    THE   ARMY. 

dear  could  have  borne  without  a  murmur,  we  de 
scended  the  Mississippi.  It  was  believed  our  services 
were  wanted  in  the  prosecution  of  the  just  war  in  which 
our  country  was  engaged,  and  we  were  prepared  to 
render  them.  But,  though  we  were  disappointed  in 
our  expectations,  we  established  for  Tennessee  a  name 
which  will  long  do  her  honour.  At  length,  we  re 
ceived  a  letter  from  the  secretary  of  war,  directing 
our  dismission.  You  will  recollect  the  circumstances 
of  wretchedness  in  which  this  order  was  calculated  to 
place  us.  By  it  we  were  deprived  of  every  article  of 
public  property ;  no  provision  was  made  for  the  pay 
ment  of  our  troops,  or  their  subsistence  on  their  return 
march ;  whilst  many  of  our  sick,  unable  to  help  them 
selves,  must  have  perished.  Against  the  opinion  of 
many,  I  marched  them  back  to  their  homes  before  I 
dismissed  them.  Your  regiment,  at  its  own  request, 
was  dismissed  at  Columbia.  This  was  accompanied 
by  a  certificate  to  each  man,  expressing  the  acts  under 
which  he  had  been  enrolled,  and  the  length  of  the  tour 
he  had  performed.  This  it  is  which  is  now  attempted 
to  be  construed  'a  final  discharge;'  but  surely  it 
cannot  be  forgotten  by  any  officer  or  soldier,  how 
sacredly  they  pledged  themselves,  before  they  were 
dismissed,  or  received  their  certificates,  cheerfully  to 
obey  the  voice  of  their  country,  if  it  should  resummon 
them  into  service ;  neither  can  it  be  forgotten,  I  dare 
hope,  for  what  purpose  that  certificate  was  given  ;  it 
was  to  secure,  if  possible,  to  those  brave  men  who  had 
shown  such  readiness  to  serve  their  country,  certain 
extra  emoluments,  specified  in  the  seventh  section  of 
the  act  under  which  they  had  engaged,  in  the  event 


LETTER    TO    THE   ARMY.  169 

they  were  not  recalled  into  service  for  the  residue  of 
their  term. 

"  Is  it  true  then  that  my  solicitude  for  the  interest 
of  the  volunteers,  is  to  be  made  by  them  a  pretext  for 
disgracing  a  name  which  they  had  rendered  illustrious  ? 
Is  a  certificate  designed  solely  for  their  benefit  to 
become  the  rallying  word  for  mutiny  ?  strange  pursuit 
of  feeling  and  of  reasoning !  Have  I  really  any  power 
to  discharge  men  whose  term  of  service  has  not  ex 
pired  ?  If  I  were  weak  or  wicked  enough  to  attempt 
the  exercise  of  such  a  power,  does  any  one  believe  the 
soldier  would  be  thereby  exonerated  from  the  obliga 
tion  he  has  voluntarily  taken  upon  himself  to  his 
government  ?  I  should  become  a  traitor  to  the  im 
portant  concern  which  has  been  entrusted  to  my 
management ;  while  the  soldier,  who  had  been  de 
ceived  by  a  false  hope  of  liberation,  would  be  still 
liable  to  redeem  his  pledge ;  I  should  disgrace  myself 
without  benefitting  you. 

"  I  can  only  deplore  the  situation  of  those  officers 
who  have  undertaken  to  persuade  their  men  that  their 
term  of  service  will  expire  on  the  10th.  In  giving 
their  opinions  to  this  effect,  they  have  acted  indis 
creetly,  and  without  sufficient  authority.  It  would  be 
the  most  pleasing  fact  of  my  life  to  restore  them  with 
honour  to  their  families.  Nothing  would  pain  me 
more,  than  that  any  other  sentiments  should  be  felt 
towards  them,  than  those  of  gratitude  and  esteem. 
On  all  occasions  it  has  been  my  highest  happiness  to 
promote  their  interest,  and  even  to  gratify  their 
wishes,  where  with  propriety  it  could  be  done.  When 
in  the  lower  country,  believing  that,  in  the  order  for 
22 


170  LETTER   TO    THE   ARMY. 

their  dismissal,  they  had  been  improperly  treated,  I 
even  solicited  the  government  to  discharge  them 
finally  from  the  obligations  into  which  they  had  en 
tered.  You  know  the  answer  of  the  secretary  of 
war; — that  neither  he,  nor  the  president,  as  he  be 
lieved,  had  the  power  to  discharge  them.  How  then 
can  it  be  required  of  me  to  do  so  ? 

"  The  moment  it  is  signified  to  me  by  any  compe 
tent  authority,  even  by  the  Governor  of  Tennessee,  to 
whom  I  have  written  on  the  subject,  or  by  General 
Pinckney,  who  is  now  appointed  to  the  command,  that 
the  volunteers  may  be  exonerated  from  further  ser 
vice,  that  moment  I  will  pronounce  it  with  the  great 
est  satisfaction.  I  have  only  the  power  of  pronounc 
ing  a  discharge — not  of  giving  it  in  any  case,  a  dis 
tinction  which  I  would  wish  should  be  borne  in  mind. 
Already  have  I  sent  to  raise  volunteers  on  my  own 
responsibility,  to  complete  a  campaign  which  has 
been  so  happily  begun,  and  thus  far,  so  fortunately 
prosecuted.  The  moment  they  arrive,  and  I  am  as 
sured  that,  fired  by  our  exploits,  they  will  hasten  in 
crowds  on  the  first  intimation  that  we  need  their  ser 
vices,  they  will  be  substituted  in  the  place  of  those 
who  are  discontented  here;  the  latter  will  then  be 
permitted  to  return  to  their  homes  with  all  the  honour 
which,  under  such  circumstances  they  can  carry  along 
with  them.  But  I  still  cherish  a  hope  that  their  dis 
satisfaction  and  complaints  have  been  greatly  exagge 
rated.  I  cannot,  must  not  believe  that  the  '  Volunteers 
of  Tennessee,'  a  name  ever  dear  to  fame,  will  dis 
grace  themselves  and  a  country  which  they  have  hon 
oured,  by  abandoning  her  standard  as  mutineers  and 


ANOTHER    MUTINY.  17] 

deserters ;  but  should  I  be  disappointed  and  compelled 
to  resign  this  pleasing  hope,  one  thing  I  will  not  re 
sign —  my  duty.  Mutiny  and  sedition,  so  long  as  I 
possess  the  power  of  quelling  them,  shall  be  put  down ; 
and  even  when  left  destitute  of  this,  I  will  still  be 
found  in  the  last  extremity,  endeavouring  to  discharge 
the  duty  I  owe  my  country  and  myself." 

He  also  addressed  the  platoon  officers  in  the  same 
style ;  but  discontent  was  too  deeply  rooted,  and  by 
designing  men  had  been  too  artfully  fomented  to  be 
removed  by  argument  or  entreaty.  At  length,  on  the 
evening  of  the  9th  of  December,  1813,  General  Hall 
hastened  to  the  tent  of  General  Jackson,  with  the  in 
formation  that  his  whole  brigade  was  in  a  state  of 
mutiny,  and  making  preparations  to  depart  forcibly. 

This  was  a  measure  which  every  consideration  of 
policy,  duty,  and  honour,  required  Jackson  to  oppose ; 
and  to  this  purpose  he  instantly  applied  all  the  means 
he  possessed.  He  immediately  issued  the  following 
general  order : 

"  The  commanding  general  being  informed  that  an 
actual  mutiny  exists  in  his  camp,  all  officers  and 
soldiers  are  commanded  to  put  it  down.  The  officers 
and  soldiers  of  the  first  brigade  will,  without  delay, 
parade  on  the  west  side  of  the  fort,  and  await  further 
orders."  The  artillery  company,  with  two  small  field- 
pieces,  being  posted  in  the  front  and  rear,  and  the 
militia,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Wynne,  on  the 
eminences,  in  advance,  were  ordered  to  prevent  any 
forcible  departure  of  the  volunteers. 

The  general  then  rode  along  the  line,  and  addressed 
them  by  companies,  in  a  strain  of  impassioned  elo- 


172  JACKSON'S   ADDRESS. 

quence.  He  feelingly  expatiated  on  their  former  good 
conduct,  and  the  esteem  and  applause  it  had  secured 
them ;  and  pointed  to  the  disgrace  which  they  must 
heap  upon  themselves,  their  families,  and  country,  by 
persisting,  even  if  they  could  succeed,  in  their  present 
mutiny.  He  told  them,  however,  that  they  should  not 
succeed,  but  by  passing  over  his  body  ;  that,  even  in 
opposing  their  mutinous  spirit,  he  should  perish 
honourably — by  perishing  at  his  post,  and  in  the  dis 
charge  of  his  duty.  "  Reinforcements,"  he  continued, 
"  are  preparing  to  hasten  to  my  assistance  ;  it  cannot 
be  long  before  they  will  arrive.  I  am,  too,  in  daily 
expectation  of  receiving  information  whether  you  may 
be  discharged  or  not — until  then,  you  must  not,  and 
shall  not  retire.  I  have  done  with  entreaty— it  has 
been  used  long  enough.  I  will  attempt  it  no  more. 
You  must  now  determine  whether  you  will  go,  or 
peaceably  remain ;  if  you  still  persist  in  your  deter 
mination  to  move  peaceably  off,  the  point  between  us 
shall  soon  be  decided."  At  first  they  hesitated :  he 
demanded  an  explicit  and  positive  answer.  They  still 
hesitated,  and  he  commanded  the  artillerist  to  prepare 
his  match ;  he,  himself,  remaining  in  front  of  the 
volunteers,  and  within  the  line  of  fire,  which  he  in 
tended  soon  to  order.  Alarmed  at  his  apparent  deter 
mination,  and  dreading  the  consequences  involved  in 
such  a  contest, "  Let  us  return,"  was  murmured  along  the 
line,  and  soon  after  this  step  was  determined  upon .  The 
officers  now  came  forward  and  pledged  themselves  for 
their  men,  who  either  nodded  assent,  or  openly  ex 
pressed  a  willingness  to  retire  to  their  quarters,  and 
remain  without  further  tumult,  until  information  was 


DANGER    TO    THE    FRONTIER. 


173 


Scalping. 


received  or  the  expected  aid  should  arrive.  Thus 
passed  away  a  moment  of  the  greatest  peril,  pregnant 
with  important  consequences. 

This  ever  memorable  scene  took  place  on  the  10th 
of  December,  1813.  One  year  from  the  first  rendez 
vous  of  the  volunteers  had  certainly  expired ;  but  there 
had  not  been  a  year's  service  ;  for  they  had  not  been 
in  service  from  the  1st  of  May  to  the  4th  of  October, 
1813  ;  so  that  there  remained  five  months  of  the 
year's  service  to  come.  The  general  was  right  in  his 
construction  of  the  agreement ;  but,  besides  this,  to 
have  forsaken  the  campaign  in  such  a  manner,  would 
have  been  ruinous  in  the  extreme ;  the  savage  enemy 
not  yet  subdued,  but  exasperated  to  the  last  degree, 
would  have  assailed  the  unprotected  frontiers,  and 
14 


174  VOLUNTEERS    ORDERED    TO    NASHVILLE, 

have  deluged  them  with  the  blood  of  the  defenceless 
citizens ;  burning,  murdering,  and  scalping,  would  have 
been  daily  events  on  the  border. 

Though  the  volunteers  were  thus  prevented  from 
putting  their  design  into  immediate  execution,  the 
general  soon  discovered  that  it  was  not  wholly 
abandoned,  and  that  nothing  could  be  expected 
from  their  future  services.  He  accordingly  deter 
mined  to  rid  himself,  as  soon  as  possible,  of  men 
whose  presence  served  only  to  keep  the  spirit  of  dis 
content  alive  in  the  camp.  An  order  was  given  to 
General  Hall  to  march  them  to  Nashville,  and  do  with 
them  as  he  should  be  directed  by  the  Governor  of 
Tennessee.  Previous,  however,  to  promulgating  this 
order,  he  resolved  to  make  another  effort  to  retain 
them — to  make  a  last  appeal  to  their  honour  and 
patriotism.  For  this  purpose,  having  assembled  them 
before  the  fort  on  the  13th  of  December,  the  day  after 
the  arrival  of  General  Cocke,  he  directed  his  aid-de 
camp  to  read  to  them  the  following  address : — 

"  Volunteers  of  Tennessee !  On  the  10th  of  De 
cember,  1812,  you  assembled  at  the  call  of  your  coun 
try.  Your  professions  of  patriotism  and  ability  to 
endure  fatigue,  were  at  once  tested  by  the  inclemency 
of  the  weather.  Breaking  your  way  through  sheets  of 
ice,  you  descended  the  Mississippi,  and  reached  the 
point  at  which  you  were  ordered  to  be  halted  and 
dismissed.  All  this  you  bore  without  murmuring. 
Finding  that  your  services  were  not  needed,  the  means 
for  marching  you  back  were  procured  ;  every  difficulty 
was  surmounted,  and  as  soon  as  the  point  from  which 
you  embarked  was  regained,  the  order  for  your  dismis- 


RECAPITULATION    OF    VICTORY.  \77 

sal  was  carried  into  effect.  The  promptness  with  which 
you  assembled,  the  regularity  of  your  conduct,  your 
attention  to  your  duties,  the  determination  manifested 
on  every  occasion  to  carry  into  effect  the  wishes  and 
will  of  your  government,  placed  you  on  an  elevated 
ground.  You  not  only  distinguished  yourselves,  but 
gave  to  your  state  a  distinguished  rank  with  her  sis 
ters;  and  led  your  government  to  believe  that  the 
honour  of  the  nation  would  never  be  tarnished  when 
entrusted  to  the  holy  keeping  of  the  '  Volunteers  of 
Tennessee.'  In  the  progress  of  a  war,  which  the 
implacable  and  eternal  enemy  of  our  independence  in 
duced  to  be  waged,  we  found  that,  without  cause  on 
our  part,  a  portion  of  the  Creek  nation  was  added  to 
the  number  of  our  foes.  To  put  them  down,  the  first 
glance  of  the  administration  fell  on  you,  and  you  were 
again  summoned  to  the  field  of  honour.  In  full  pos 
session  of  your  former  feelings,  that  summons  was 
cheerfully  obeyed.  Before  your  enemy  thought  you 
in  motion,  you  were  at  Tallushatchee  and  Talladega. 
The  thunder  of  your  arms  was  a  signal  to  them,  that 
the  slaughter  pf  your  countrymen  was  about  to  be 
avenged.  You  fought,  you  conquered !  barely  enough 
of  the  foe  escaped  to  recount  to  their  savage  associates 
your  deeds  of  valour.  You  returned  to  this  place, 
loaded  with  laurels  and  the  applauses  of  your  country. 
"  Can  it  be  that  these  brave  men  are  about  to  be 
come  the  tarnishers  of  their  own  reputation ! — the  de 
stroyers  of  a  name  which  does  them  so  much  honour. 
Yes,  it  is  a  truth  too  well  disclosed,  that  cheerfulness 
has  been  changed  for  complaints : — murmurings  and 
discontents  alone  prevail.  Men  who  a  little  while 
23 


178  ADDRESS    TO    THE    ARMY. 

since  were  offering  up  prayers  for  permission  to  chas 
tise  the  merciless  savage,  who  turned  with  impatience 
to  teach  them  how  much  they  had  hitherto  been  in 
debted  to  our  forbearance,  are  now,  when  they  could 
so  easily  attain  their  wishes,  seeking  to  be  discharged. 
The  heart  of  your  general  has  been  pierced.  The 
first  object  of  his  military  affections,  and  the  first  glo 
ry  of  his  life  were  the  volunteers  of  Tennessee ;  the 
very  name  recalls  to  him  a  thousand  endearing  recol 
lections.  But  these  men,  these  volunteers,  have  be 
come  mutineers.  The  feelings  he  would  have  indulged, 
your  general  has  been  compelled  to  suppress — he  has 
been  compelled  by  a  regard  to  that  subordination  so 
necessary  to  the  support  of  every  army,  and  which  he 
is  bound  to  have  observed,  to  check  the  disorder 
which  would  have  destroyed  you.  He  has  interposed 
his  authority  for  your  safety, — to  prevent  you  from 
disgracing  yourselves  and  your  country.  Tranquillity 
has  been  restored  in  our  camp — contentment  shall 
also  be  restored — this  can  be  done  only  by  permitting 
those  to  retire  whose  dissatisfaction  proceeds  from 
causes  that  cannot  be  controlled.  This  permission 
will  never  be  given.  Your  country  will  dispense  with 
your  services,  if  you  have  no  longer  a  regard  for  that 
fame,  which  you  have  so  nobly  earned  for  yourselves 
and  her.  Yes,  soldiers  you  who  were  once  so  brave, 
and  to  whom  honour  was  so  dear,  shall  be  permitted 
to  return  to  your  homes,  if  you  desire  it.  But  in  what 
language,  when  you  arrive,  will  you  address  your  fa 
milies  and  friends  ?  Will  you  tell  them  that  you 
abandoned  your  general,  and  your  late  associates  in 
arms,  within  fifty  miles  of  a  savage  enemy,  who  equally 


ARRIVAL    OF    GENERAL    COCKE.  179 

delights  in  shedding  the  blood  of  the  innocent  fe 
male  and  her  sleeping  babe,  as  that  of  the  warrior 
contending  in  battle  ?  Lamentable,  disgraceful  tale ! 
If  your  dispositions  are  really  changed,  if  you  fear  an 
enemy  you  so  lately  conquered,  this  day  will  prove  it. 
I  now  put  it  to  yourselves ; — determine  upon  the  part 
you  will  act,  influenced  only  by  the  suggestion  of  your 
own  hearts,  and  your  own  understandings.  All  who 
prefer  an  inglorious  retirement  shall  be  ordered  to 
Nashville,  to  be  discharged  as  the  president  or  the 
governor  may  direct.  Who  choose  to  remain  and 
unite  with  their  general  in  the  further  prosecution  of 
the  campaign,  can  do  so,  and  will  thereby  furnish  a 
proof  that  they  have  been  greatly  traduced ;  and  that 
although  disaffection  and  cowardice  has  reached  the 
hearts  of  some,  it  has  not  reached  theirs.  To  such 
my  assurance  is  given,  that  former  irregularities  will 
not  be  attributed  to  them.  They  shall  be  immediately 
organized  into  a  separate  corps,  under  officers  of  their 
own  choice ;  and  in  a  little  while  it  is  confidently  be 
lieved  an  opportunity  will  be  afforded  of  adding  to  the 
laurels  you  have  already  won." 

This  address  failed  to  produce  the  desired  effect. 
One  only,  Captain  Williamson,  agreed  to  remain. 
General  Hall  was  accordingly  instructed  to  march  his 
brigade  to  Nashville,  and  await  such  instructions  as 
he  might  receive  from  the  president,  or  the  Governor 
of  Tennessee. 

General  Cocke  had  arrived  on  the  12th  with  fifteen 
hundred  men ;  but  it  was  found  from  his  report  that 
no  part  of  his  troops  were  brought  into  the  field  under 

the  requisition  of  the  President  of  the  United  States ; 
14* 


180  GENERAL    COFFEE'S    BRIGADE. 

and  that  the  term  of  service  of  the  greater  part  of 
them  would  expire  in  a  few  days ;  and  of  the  whole 
in  a  few  weeks.  In  consequence  of  this  he  was  ordered 
into  his  district,  to  comply  with  that  requisition,  and 
to  carry  with  him  and  discharge  near  their  homes, 
those  of  his  troops,  whose  term  of  service  was  nearly 
ended.  The  reason  of  this  was  explained  to  the  bri 
gade  in  an  address,  in  which  they  were  entreated,  when 
they  should  have  obtained  the  necessaries  which  a 
winter's  campaign  would  require,  to  return  into  the 
field,  and  aid  in  completing  what  had  been  so  success 
fully  begun. 

Colonel  Lilliard's  regiment,  consisting  of  about  eight 
hundred  men,  whose  term  of  service  would  not  expire 
in  less  than  four  weeks,  was  retained  to  assist  in  de 
fending  Fort  Strother,  and  keeping  open  the  commu 
nication  with  Deposit  until  the  expected  reinforcements 
should  arrive. 

The  brigade  of  mounted  men  under  General  Coffee, 
who  had  been  allowed  to  return  soon  after  the  battle 
of  Talladega,  reassembled  at  Huntsville  on  the  8th  of 
December.  Only  eight  hundred  presented  themselves, 
of  whom  but  six  hundred  could  be  prevailed  upon  to 
move  towards  the  Indian  country.  The  evil  influence 
of  the  example  set  by  the  infantry  was  soon  evident 
among  the  cavalry.  They  insisted  upon  their  right 
to  a  discharge,  having  enlisted  at  the  same  time  as 
the  infantry.  The  riflemen,  also,  alleged  that  their 
stipulated  term  of  service  had  expired,  and  manifested 
a  decided  indisposition  to  proceed.  General  Coffee 
was  prevented  by  sickness  from  commanding  his 
brigade  in  person  ;  but  he  ordered  them  to  march  im- 


GENERAL    COFFEE'S    BRIGADE.  181 

mediately  to  head-quarters.  They  proceeded  as  far 
as  Ditto's  Landing  ;  but  the  greater  number  refused  to 
cross  the  river,  and  commenced  a  disorderly  return. 
Those  who  continued  to  perform  their  duty,  were 
halted  at  Deposit,  to  await  the  orders  of  General 
Jackson.  Their  conduct  at  that  place  was  disorderly 
and  mutinous;  and  General  Coffee,  despairing  of 
effecting  anything  with  such  troops,  informed  General 
Jackson  of  their  conduct  and  demands.  He  also  for 
warded  to  the  general  a  petition  which  had  been  ad 
dressed  to  him  by  the  rifle  regiment.  The  command- 
er-in-chief  addressed  a  severe  letter  to  the  malcon 
tents,  receiving  and  answering  their  petition,  and 
reminding  them  of  their  promise  to  return  to  the  service. 

"  The  signers  of  that  address,"  observes  the  gene 
ral,  "  commence  by  saying, '  that  jealousy  is  prevailing 
in  our  camp,  with  respect  to  the  understanding  between 
themselves  and  the  government  relative  to  the  service 
required  of  them ;  and  believing  it  to  be  its  policy  to 
act  fairly,  are  of  opinion  that  a  full  explanation  of  their 
case  will  have  a  good  effect  in  promoting  the  cause  in 
which  they  are  engaged.' 

"  What  can  have  given  rise  to  this  jealousy  I  am 
at  a  loss  to  conjecture ;  for  surely  no  unfair  practices 
were  ever  used  by  their  government  to  get  them  into 
the  service,  nor  to  keep  them  in  it  longer  than  they 
had  engaged  to  remain.  How  long  that  was  can  be 
easily  determined  by  the  law  under  which  they  were 
accepted.  This  was  open  to  all,  and  must  be  pre 
sumed  to  have  been  understood  by  all.  But  for  a 
complete  answer,  I  send  you,  and  refer  you  to  the 
written  pledges  of  both  the  field  and  platoon-officers, 


182  JACKSON'S   LETTER. 

before  they  returned  to  recruit  their  horses,  and  obtain 
their  winter  clothing.  As  they  seem  completely  to  have 
forgotten,  I  will  remind  them  of  all  they  contain — of 
their  assurances  given,  that,  if  what  they  asked  were 
granted,  they  would  return  at  the  shortest  possible 
notice,  prepared  and  willing  to  go  through  the  winter 
service,  or  to  the  end  of  the  campaign.  Sensible  of 
their  necessities,  and  confiding  fully  in  the  promises 
they  made,  and  signed  with  their  own  names,  I  per 
mitted  them,  on  the  22d  ultimo,  to  return  into  the  set 
tlements  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  fresh  horses,  and 
additional  clothing  ;  and  required  them,  to  which  they 
readily  agreed,  to  rendezvous  in  Madison  on  the  8th 
instant.  They  have  returned  ;  and  now7,  when  every 
calculation  is  made  upon  their  services,  agreeably  to 
the  pledges  that  have  be?n  given,  they  send  (instead 
of  coming,)  this  address.  Under  these  circumstances 
what  '  explanation  of  their  case'  do  they  want  ? 
What  explanation  do  they  expect  their  general  to  give 
them  ?  Barely  to  remind  them  of  their  written  pledges, 
without  attempting  any  exposition  of  the  law  under 
which  they  have  engaged,  is  surely  a  sufficient  answer. 
An  exposition  of  it  will  not  be  attempted  by  me ;  not 
only  because  it  is  considered  unnecessary,  but  because 
my  opinion  on  it  has  been  already  frequently  given. 

"  They,  however,  further  remark,  that  4  they  are 
returning  like  deserters,  souring  the  minds  of  the 
people  against  the  government  and  the  officers,  which 
will  prevent  others  from  entering  into  the  service  of 
their  country,  and  paralyze  the  spirit  of  every  citizen 
of  Tennessee.'  That  they  are  returning  home,  not 
only  *  like  deserters,'  but  in  the  real  characters  of  such, 


JACKSON'S    REMARKS.  183 

is  indeed  a  lamentable  truth.     That  they  are  also  en 
deavouring  to  sour  the  minds  of  the  people  against  the 
government  and  the  officers,  and  that  this  attempt  will 
most  probably  be  successful,  and  prevent  many  from 
entering  the  service,  is,  I  am  fearful,  too  true.     But  in 
the  name  of  God,  to  whom  is  this  to  be  ascribed — to 
the  government  or  to  their  general  ?  or  rather  is  it 
not  more  justly  chargeable  to  themselves,  who,  having 
entered  the  camp  from  patriotic  motives,  as  they  say, 
— having  engaged  with  their  government,  and  pledged 
themselves  to  their  general,  to  prosecute  the  campaign 
and  avenge  the  injured  rights  of  their  country,  forget 
both  that  engagement,  and  that  pledge,  and  all  their 
boasted  patriotism,  at  a  moment  when  their  services 
are    the    most    confidently  expected,  and    the    most 
eminently  needed. 

"  I  cannot  conceive  how  the  idea  has  arisen,  that 
they  are  attempted  to  be  detained  without  their  con 
sent.  To  say  nothing  of  the  length  of  service  really 
required  by  the  law  under  which  they  were  accepted ; 
have  not  the  field  officers  given  their  written  consent 
to  remain  during  the  winter,  or  until  the  campaign  be 
completed  ?  Have  they  not  also  given  a  pledge  for 
their  men,  and  their  officers  commanding  companies 
and  platoons ;  and  have  not  those  company  and  platoon 
officers  too,  given  a  similar  assurance  for  themselves 
and  their  men  ?  Let  them  look  to  these  pledges  and 
blush  at  their  conduct. 

"  They  also  remark,  '  If  any  tender  of  services  for 
a  longer  time  than  a  tour  of  duty  (three  months),  has 
been  made  to  the  general  government,  we  beg  leave 
to  say,  it  was  without  our  consent  or  knowledge;  and 


184  JACKSON'S    REMONSTRANCE. 

we  are  convinced  that  in  all  contracts  that  are  binding, 
both  parties  must  fully  understand  and  consent  thereto. 
We  wish  to  be  permitted  to  return  home,  and  to  re 
turn  under  such  circumstances  as  will  entitle  us  to  be 
praised  instead  of  blamed,  by  those  who  so  gallantly 
led  us  to  battle.' 

"To  this  I  give  answer,  that  no  tender  for  any 
specified  term  of  service  was  ever  made  to  the  general 
government  by  me,  or  by  any  other  within  my  know 
ledge.  As  regards  their  law  remark,  that  men,  to  be 
bound  by  a  contract,  must  understand  and  consent  to 
it,  it  will  be  a  sufficient  answer  that  those  who  volun 
teer  their  services  under  a  public  law,  are  presumed 
to  understand  fully  all  its  provisions ;  or,  at  any  rate, 
that  those  who  sign  an  instrument  drawn  up  by  them 
selves,  cannot  reasonably  be  supposed  ignorant  of  its 
contents,  or  unwilling  to  abide  by  its  terms.  But  they 
must  be  lukewarm  patriots  indeed,  who  in  the  mo 
ment  of  danger  and  necessity  can  halt  in  the  discharge 
of  their  duty,  to  argue  and  quibble  on  the  construction 
of  laws  and  statutes. 

"  As  to  their  wish  '  to  be  praised  instead  of  cen 
sured,'  I  am  at  a  loss  to  conceive  how  such  a  senti 
ment  should  hold  a  place  in  the  breasts  of  men  who 
are  about  to  abandon  the  cause  of  their  country,  at 
such  a  moment  as  this,  and  under  such  engagements. 
Even  if  it  be  possible  for  such  men  to  desire  praise, 
from  their  present  conduct  they  cannot  expect  it. 
Before  thsy  can  have  determined  to  enter  upon  such 
a  course,  they  must  undoubtedly  have  prepared  their 
minds  to  meet  all  the  contumely  and  contempt  that  an 
indignant  country  can  heap  upon  such  wind-blown 


THE  GOVERNOR'S  LETTER.        185 

patriots ;  who,  when  at  home,  clamoured  so  vociferous 
ly  about  her  injured  rights,  and  having  taken  up  arms 
to  defend  them,  abandon  them  at  a  moment  when  they 
are  most  in  danger.     A  grosser  aliment  than  praise 
must  be  the  proper  nutriment  for  such  minds.     If  it 
were  possible  that  any  doubt  could  exist  under  the  law 
by  which  their  services  were  engaged,  has  not  the 
utmost  certainty  been  produced,  by  their  own  written 
undertakings  subsequently  made  ?     But  on  the  ques 
tion,  whether  their  country,  at  this  time,  needs  their 
services  in  the  field,  there  can  be  no  doubt.     And  is 
patriotism  to  be  measured  by  months,  and  weeks,  and 
days  ?     Is  it  by  such  a  computation  that  the  volunteer 
embarked  in  his  country's  defence  hopes  to  entitle 
himself  to  the  thanks  of  that  country,  when  her  rights 
are  assailed,  and  his  efforts  can  protect  them  ?     Be  it 
so ;  let  it  be  even  granted  that  these  men's  engage 
ments  have  expired  under  the  law ; — has  their  sacred 
pledge  in  writing,  and  has  their  love  of  country  ex 
pired  ?     If  these  cannot  bind  them  to  a  faithful  per 
formance  of  their  duty,  I  know  of  nothing  by  which  I 
can  hope  to  hold  them." 

He  also  forwarded  to  them  a  letter  which  he  had 
just  received  from  the  Governor  of  Tennessee.  This 
letter  recommended  what  had  already  been  done ;  to 
dismiss — not  discharge,  the  volunteers,  because  the 
latter  was  not  in  the  power  of  either  of  them : — nor 
was  their  dismission  to  be  given  because  founded  in 
right ;  but  because  under  existing  circumstances  their 
presence  would  not  prove  beneficial,  but  highly  inju 
rious.  This  letter  was  sent  to  the  volunteers  of  Cof 
fee's  brigade,  accompanied  with  these  remarks : — 
24 


L86    DEPARTURE    OF  ALLCORN'S    REGIMENT. 


^^:vU^>%^^  - 

Allcorn  abandoning  the  Campaign. 


"  I  have  just  received  a  letter  from  Governor  Blount 
which  I  hasten  to  transmit  to  you,  that  you  may  avail 
yourselves  of  whatever  benefits  and  privileges  it  holds 
out.  You  will  perceive  that  he  does  not  consider  he  has 
any  power  to  discharge  you, — neither  have  I : — but 
you  have  my  permission  to  retire  from  the  service  if 
you  are  still  desirous  of  doing  so,  and  are  prepared 
to  risk  the  consequences." 

No  sooner  were  these  letters  read  to  the  soldiers 
than  they  abandoned  the  campaign,  and  with  their 
colonel,  Allcorn,  at  their  head,  notwithstanding  their 
pledged  honour,  the  advice  of  their  general,  the  en 
treaties  of  General  Coffee,  and  an  eloquent  speech  of 


ADVICE    OF    GOVERNOR    BLOUNT.  L87 

the  Reverend  Mr.  Blackburn,  commenced  their  march 
to  the  settlements. 

The  brigade  of  militia  under  General  Roberts,  who 
had  remained  at  Fort  Strother,  insisting  that  they 
had  only  enlisted  for  three  months,  desired  to  be  dis 
charged  on  the  4th  of  January.  Jackson,  however, 
demurred  at  this  construction  of  the  case:  as  they 
had  been  mustered  into  the  United  States  service 
under  the  act  for  raising  a  militia  force  to  serve  for 
six  months,  unless  sooner  discharged  by  the  president. 
He  therefore  refused  to  permit  them  to  depart.  The 
regiment  of  Colonel  Lilliard,  belonging  to  General 

c5  7  O        O 

Cocke's  division,  would  be  entitled  to  a  discharge  on 
the  14th ;  when  the  force  at  Fort  Strother  would  be 
almost  dissolved.  General  Cocke  had  been  previously 
ordered  by  the  governor  to  raise  twenty-five  hundred 
men  to  reinforce  the  army :  but  that  order  not  having 
been  fulfilled,  General  Jackson  urged  the  governor  to 
take  more  efficient  measures  for  increasing  the  strength 
of  the  army.  Governor  Blount,  discouraged  by  the 
disaffection  of  the  men,  and  the  ill-success  of  General 
Cocke,  recommended  that  the  campaign  should  be 
abandoned  until  the  general  government  should  give 
substantial  aid.  Jackson  replied  by  deprecating  such 
a  course  as  calculated  to  injure  the  reputation  and 
endanger  the  safety  of  Tennessee,  and  to  defeat  the 
plans  of  General  Pinckney,  to  whom  the  United  States 
government  had  committed  the  management  of  the 
Creek  war  ;  he  continues : — 

"  Had  your  wish  that  I  should  discharge  a  part  of  my 
force  and  retire  with  the  residue  into  the  settlements 
assumed  the  form  of  a  positive  order,  it  might  have 
15 


L88  ANSWER    TO    THE    GOVERNOR. 

furnished  me  some  apology  for  pursuing  such  a  course ; 
but  by  no  means  a  full  justification.     As  you  would 
have  no  power  to  give  such  an  order,  I  could  not  be 
inculpable  in  obeying,  with  my  eyes  open  to  the  fatal 
consequences  that  would  attend  it.     But  a  bare  re 
commendation,  founded,  as  I  am  satisfied  it  must  be, 
on  the  artful  suggestions  of  those  fireside  patriots  who 
seek,  in  a  failure  of  the  expeditions,  an  excuse  for  their 
own  supineness ;  and  upon  the  misrepresentations  of  the 
discontented  from  the  army,  who  wish  it  to  be  believed 
that  the  difficulties  which  overcame  their  patriotism 
are  wholly  insurmountable,  would  afford  me  but  a 
feeble  shield  against  the  reproaches  of  my  country, 
or  my  conscience.     Believe  me,  my  respected  friend, 
the  remarks  I  make  proceed  from  the  purest  personal 
regard.     If  you  would  preserve  your  reputation,  or  that 
of  the  state  over  which  you  preside,  you  must  take  a 
straight-forward,  determined  course  ;  regardless  of  the 
applause  or  censure  of  the  populace,  and  of  the  fore 
bodings  of  that  dastardly  and  designing  crew,  who,  at 
a  time  like  this,  may  be  expected  to  clamour  continu 
ally  in  your  ears.     The  very  wretches  who  now  beset 
you  with   evil  counsel,  will  be   the  first,  should  the 
measures  which  they  recommend  eventuate  in  disas 
ter,  to  call  down  imprecations  on  your  head,  and  load 
you  with  reproaches.     Your  country  is  in  danger : — 
apply  its  resources  to  its  defence !     Can  any  course 
be  more  plain  ?     Do  you,  my  friend,  at  such  a  moment 
as  the  present,  sit  with  your  arms  folded,  and  your 
heart  at  ease,  waiting  a  solution  of  your  doubts,  and 
a  definition  of  your  powers  ?     Do  you  wait  for  special 
instructions  from  the  secretary  of  war,  which  it  is  im- 


ANSWER    TO    THE    GOVERNOR.  189 

possible  for  you  to  receive  in  time  for  the  danger  that 
threatens  ?  How  did  the  venerable  Shelby  act  under 
similar  circumstances  ;  or  rather,  under  circumstances 
by  no  means  so  critical  ?  Did  he  wait  for  orders  to 
do  what  every  man  of  sense  knew — what  every  patriot 
felt — to  be  right  ?  He  did  riot ;  and  yet  how  highly 
and  justly  did  the  government  extol  his  manly  and  en 
ergetic  conduct !  and  how  dear  has  his  name  become 
to  all  the  friends  of  their  country ! 

"You  say  that,  having  given  an  order  to  General 
Cocke  to  bring  his  quota  of  men  into  the  field,  your 
power  ceases  ;  and  that,  although  you  are  made  sen 
sible  that  he  has  wholly  neglected  that  order,  you  can 
take  no  measure  to  remedy  the  omission.  Widely 
different,  indeed,  is  my  opinion.  I  consider  it  your 
imperious  duty,  when  the  men  called  for  by  your 
order,  founded  upon  that  of  the  government,  are  known 
not  to  be  in  the  field,  to  see  that  they  be  brought 
there ;  and  to  take  immediate  measures  with  the 
officer,  who,  charged  with  the  execution  of  your 
order,  omits  or  neglects  to  do  it.  As  the  executive 
of  the  state,  it  is  your  duty  to  see  that  the  full  quota 
of  troops  be  constantly  kept  in  the  field  for  the  time 
they  have  been  required.  You  are  responsible  to  the 
government ;  your  officer  to  you.  Of  what  avail  is 
it  to  give  an  order  if  it  be  never  executed,  and  may 
be  disobeyed  with  impunity  ?  Is  it  by  empty  orders 
that  we  can  hope  to  conquer  our  enemies,  and  save 
our  defenceless  frontiers  from  butchery  and  devasta 
tion  ?  Believe  me,  my  valued  friend,  there  are  times 
when  it  is  highly  criminal  to  shrink  from  responsibility, 
or  scruple  about  the  exercise  of  our  powers.  There 


190  ANSWER    TO    THE    GOVERNOR. 

are  times  when  we  must  disregard  punctilious  eti 
quette,  and  think  only  of  serving  our  country.  What 
is  really  our  present  situation  ?  The  enemy  we  have 
been  sent  to  subdue,  may  be  said,  if  we  stop  at  this, 
to  be  only  exasperated.  The  comma  nder-in-chief, 
General  Pinckney,  who  supposes  me  by  this  time 
prepared  for  renewed  operations,  has  ordered  me 
to  advance,  and  form  a  junction  with  the  Georgia 
army  ;  and,  upon  the  expectation  that  I  will  do  so,  are 
all  his  arrangements  formed  for  the  prosecution  of  the 
campaign.  Will  it  do  to  defeat  his  plans,  and  jeo 
pardize  the  safety  of  the  Georgia  army  ?  The  general 
government,  too,  believe,  and  have  a  right  to  believe, 
that  we  have  now  not  less  than  five  thousand  men  in 
the  heart  of  the  enemy's  country ;  and  on  this  opinion 
are  all  their  calculations  bottomed;  and  must  they 
all  be  frustrated,  and  I  become  the  instrument  by 
which  it  is  done  ?  God  forbid ! 

"  You  advise  me  too,  to  discharge  or  dismiss  from 
service,  until  the  will  of  the  president  can  be  known, 
such  a  portion  of  the  militia  as  have  rendered  three 
months'  service.  This  advice  astonishes  me  even 
more  than  the  former.  I  have  no  such  discretionary 
power;  and  it  would  be  impolitic  and  ruinous  to  use 
it,  if  I  had.  I  believed  the  militia  who  were  not  spe 
cially  received  for  a  shorter  period,  were  engaged  for 
six  months,  unless  the  objects  of  the  expedition  should 
be  sooner  attained ;  and  in  this  opinion  I  was  greatly 
strengthened  by  your  letter  of  the  15th,  in  which  you 
say,  when  answering  my  inquiry  upon  this  subject, 
'the  militia  are  detached  for  six  months'  service;' 
nor  did  I  know  or  suppose  you  had  a  different  opin- 


ANSWER    TO    THE    GOVERNOR.  191 

ion  until  the  arrival  of  your  last  letter.  This  opinion 
must,  I  suppose,  agreeably  to  your  request,  be  made 
known  to  General  Roberts's  brigade,  and  then  the  con 
sequences  are  not  difficult  to  be  foreseen.  Every  man 
belonging  to  it  will  abandon  me  on  the  4th  of  next 
month ;  nor  shall  I  have  the  means  of  preventing  it 
but  by  the  application  of  force,  which  under  such  cir 
cumstances  I  shall  not  be  at  liberty  to  use.  I  have 
laboured  hard  to  reconcile  these  men  to  a  continuance 
in  service  until  they  could  be  honourably  discharged, 
and  had  hoped  I  had  in  a  great  measure  succeeded ; 
but  your  opinion,  operating  with  their  own  prejudices, 
will  give  a  sanction  to  their  conduct,  and  render  use 
less  any  further  attempts.  They  will  go,  but  I  can 
neither  discharge  nor  dismiss  them.  Shall  I  be  told, 
that,  as  they  will  go,  it  may  as  well  be  peaceably  per 
mitted  ?  Can  that  be  any  good  reason  why  I  should 
do  an  unauthorized  act  ?  Is  it  a  good  reason  why  I 
should  violate  the  order  of  my  superior  officer,  and 
evince  a  willingness  to  defeat  the  purposes  of  my  go 
vernment?  And  wherein  does  the  'sound  policy'  of 
the  measures  that  have  been  reccmmended  consist? 
or  in  what  way  are  they  '  likely  to  promote  the  public 
good  ?'  Is  it  sound  policy  to  abandon  a  conquest 
thus  far  made,  and  deliver  up  to  havoc,  or  add  to  the 
number  of  our  enemies  those  friendly  Creeks  and  Che- 
rokees,  who,  relying  on  our  protection,  have  espoused 
our  cause,  and  aided  us  with  their  arms  ?  Is  it  good 
policy  to  turn  loose  upon  our  defenceless  frontiers  five 
thousand  exasperated  savages,  to  imbrue  their  hands 
once  more  in  the  blood  of  our  citizens  ?  What!  retro- 

gade  under  such  circumstances !  I  will  perish  first.  No, 
15* 


192  EFFECT    OF    JACKSON'S    LETTER. 

I  will  do  my  duty.  I  will  hold  the  posts  I  have  estab 
lished  until  ordered  to  abandon  them  by  the  com 
manding  general,  or  die  in  the  struggle ; — long  since 
have  I  determined  not  to  seek  the  preservation  of  life 
at  the  sacrifice  of  reputation. 

"  But  our  frontiers,  it  seems,  are  to  be  defended — 
and  by  whom  ?  By  the  very  force  that  is  now  recom 
mended  to  be  dismissed ;  for  I  am  first  told  to  retire 
into  the  settlements,  and  to  protect  the  frontiers ;  next, 
to  discharge  my  troops ;  and  then,  that  no  measures 
can  be  taken  for  raising  others.  No,  my  friend,  if 
troops  be  given  me,  it  is  not  by  loitering  on  the  fron 
tiers  that  I  will  seek  to  give  protection ;  they  are  to 
be  defended,  if  defended  at  all,  in  a  very  different 
manner ; — by  carrying  the  war  into  the  heart  of  the 
enemy's  country.  All  other  hopes  of  defence  are 
more  visionary  than  dreams.  What  then  is  to  be 
done  ?  I  '11  tell  you  what.  You  have  only  to  act  with 
the  energy  and  decision  the  crisis  demands,  and  all 
will  be  well.  Send  me  a  force  engaged  for  six  months, 
and  I  will  answer  for  the  result, — but  withhold  it,  and 
all  is  lost, — the  reputation  of  the  state,  and  yours  and 
mine  along  with  it." 

o 

This  remonstrance  of  Jackson  changed  the  in 
tentions  of  Governor  Blount,  who  directed  two  thousand 
five  hundred  militia  from  the  second  brigade,  under 
General  Johnston,  to  join  the  army  without  delay. 
General  Cocke  was  also  instructed  to  hasten  the  exe 
cution  of  his  orders,  and  to  march  his  men  to  head 
quarters  as  soon  as  possible. 

Meanwhile,  many  of  the  militia  of  General  Roberts 
had  deserted,  and  returned  to  Tennessee.  This  officer 


GENERAL    ROBERTS    CASHIERED.  ]  9'3 

was,  therefore,  ordered  to  repair  to  that  state,  and  en 
deavour  to  obtain  a  sufficient  number  of  new  levies  to 
supply  their  places.     He  was  also  instructed  to  use 
every  exertion  to  complete  the  number  of  his  brigade. 
He  succeeded  in  raising  nearly  two  hundred  men,  with 
whom  he  arrived  near  the  camp  on  the  27th  of  De 
cember.     He  \vent  alone  to  General  Jackson,  to  ascer 
tain  whether  they  would  be  permitted  to  return  home 
after  three  months'  service ;  that  being  the  time  for 
which    they  had   engaged.      Jackson    informed   him 
that  his  stipulations  would  be  strictly  complied  with ; 
but  when  Roberts  returned  to  his  men,  he  found  that 
they  had  been  seized  with  distrust,  in  consequence  of 
his  conduct,  and  had  resolved  to  set  out  for   home. 
He  went  to  the  camp,  when  General  Jackson  ordered 
him  to  parade  his  reinforcement.     He  then  acknow 
ledged  what  had  happened,  and  offered  to  follow  them, 
and  bring  them   back.      He   overtook  them  twenty 
miles  from  Fort  Strother ;  but  they  persisted  in  their 
resolution  to  return.     General  Jackson  ordered  him 
to  cause  them  to  be  arrested,  and  brought  to  the  camp, 
or  put  into  confinement.     Many  of  them  returned,  and 
disclosed  the  fact,  that  their  conduct  was  owing  to  the 
advice  of  Roberts,  who  was  cashiered  by  order  of  a 
court-martial. 

Apprehensive  that  the  brigade  of  militia  would  at 
tempt  to  leave  the  camp  on  the  4th  of  January,  the 
general  issued  an  order  forbidding  all  persons  to  pass 
the  sentries  without  written  permission,  under  the  pe 
nalties  of  desertion.  Notwithstanding  this  order,  on 
the  morning  of  the  4th,  the  sentinels  were  discovered 
to  be  absent  from  their  posts.  Jackson  ordered 
25 


194 


ARREST    OF    KEARLEY. 


Arrest  of  Lieutenant  Kearley. 


Lieutenant  Kearley,  who  commanded  the  guard,  to 
be  arrested ;  but  he  refused  to  submit  to  the  order. 
The  guards,  and  Captain  Gordon's  company  of  spies, 
were  ordered  to  arrest  him  at  all  hazards.  His  men 
manifested  a  disposition  to  defend  him,  when  General 
Jackson  ordered  Kearley  to  deliver  his  sword  to  him. 
He  refused  ;  on  which  the  general  levelled  a  pistol  at 
him,  and  would  have  killed  him  upon  the  spot,  when 
the  friends  of  the  lieutenant  persuaded  him  to  yield. 
Meanwhile,  the  militia,  with  the  exception  of  part  of 
one  company,  left  the  fort,  and  proceeded  homeward. 


ADDRESS    TO    LILLIARD'S    REGIMENT.       195 

Lieutenant  Kearley,  having  expressed  himself  sincerely 
penitent,  was  pardoned  by  his  general,  and  restored 
to  his  rank. 

The  force  at  Fort  Strother  was  now  reduced  to 
the  regiment  of  Colonel  Lilliard,  whose  term  of  service 
expired  on  the  14th  of  January;  two  companies  of 
spies  under  Captain  Gordon  and  Russell ;  and  the  ar 
tillery  company.  The  reinforcements  which  were 
preparing  in  Tennessee  had  not  yet  reached  him;  and 
there  being  little  prospect  of  their  arrival  for  some 
weeks,  the  general  determined  to  make  an  attempt 
to  persuade  the  regiment  of  Lilliard  to  remain  twenty 
days  longer,  with  the  view  of  striking  a  blow  at  the 
enemy,  who  were  assembling  in  considerable  force 
below. 

He  therefore  caused  the  following  address  to  be 
read  to  that  regiment. 

"  Major-General  Cocke  having  reported  that  your 
term  of  service  will  expire  on  the  14th,  I  assume  no 
claim  on  you  beyond  that  period.  But,  although  I 
cannot  demand  as  a  right  the  continuance  of  your 
services,  I  do  not  despair  of  being  able  to  obtain  them 
through  your  patriotism.  For  what  purpose  was  it 
that  you  quitted  your  homes,  and  penetrated  the  heart 
of  the  enemy's  country  ?  Was  it  to  avenge  the  blood 
of  your  fellow-citizens,  inhumanly  slain  by  that  enemy 
— to  give  security  in  future  to  our  extended  and  un 
protected  frontier,  and  to  signalize  the  valour  by  which 
you  were  animated?  Will  any  of  these  objects  be 
attained  if  you  abandon  the  campaign  at  the  time  you 
contemplate  ?  Not  one !  Yet  an  opportunity  shall 
be  afforded  you,  if  you  desire  it.  If  you  have  been 


196        ADDRESS    TO    LILLIARD'S    REGIMENT. 

really  actuated  by  the  feelings,  and  governed  by  the 
motives,  which  your  commanding  general  supposes 
influenced  you  to  take  up  arms  and  enter  the  field  in 
defence  of  your  rights,  none  of  you  will  resist  the  ap 
peal  he  now  makes,  or  hesitate  to  embrace  with  eager 
ness  the  opportunity  he  is  about  to  afford  you. 

"•  The  enemy,  more  than  half  conquered,  but  deri 
ving  encouragement  and  hope  from  the  tardiness  of 
our  operations,  and  the  distractions  which  have  un 
happily  prevailed  in  our  camp,  are  again  assembling 
beloAV  us.  Another  lesson  of  admonition  must  be 
furnished  them.  They  must  again  be  made  to  feel 
the  weight  of  that  power  which  they  have  without 
cause  provoked  to  war ;  and  to  know  that  although 
we  have  been  slow  to  take  up  arms,  we  will  never 
again  lay  them  from  our  hands,  until  we  have  secured 
the  objects  that  impelled  us  to  the  resort.  In  less 
than  eight  days  I  shall  leave  this  encampment,  to  meet 
and  fight  them.  Will  any  of  you  accompany  me? 
Are  there  any  amongst  you  who  at  a  moment  like 
this  will  not  think  it  an  outrage  upon  honour  for  her 
feelings  to  be  tested  by  a  computation  of  time  ?  What 
if  the  period  for  which  you  tendered  your  services  to 
your  country  has  expired, — is  that  a  consideration 
with  the  valiant,  the  patriotic,  and  the  brave,  who 
have  appeared  to  redress  the  injured  rights  of  that 
country,  and  to  acquire  for  themselves  a  name  of 
glory  ?  Is  it  a  consideration  with  them,  when  those 
objects  are  still  unattained,  and  an  opportunity  of  ac 
quiring  them  is  so  near  at  hand  ?  Did  such  men  enter 
the  field  like  hirelings — to  serve  for  pay  alone  ?  Does 
all  regard  for  their  country,  their  families,  and  them- 


ADDRESS    TO    LILLIARD'S    REGIMENT.       197 

selves,  expire  with  the  time  for  which  their  services 
were  engaged  ?     Will  it  be  a  sufficient  gratification 
to  their  feelings,  that  they  served  out  three  months 
without  seeing  the  enemy,  and  then  abandoned  the 
campaign  when  the  enemy  was  in  the  neighbourhood, 
and  could  be  seen  and  conquered  in  ten  days  ?     Any 
retrospect  they  can  make  of  the  sacrifices  they  have 
encountered,  and  the   privations  they  have  endured, 
can  afford  but  little  satisfaction  under  such  circum 
stances  ;- — the  very  mention  of  the  Creek  war  must 
cover  them  with  the  blushes  of  shame  and  self-abase 
ment.     Having  engaged  for  only  three  months,  and 
that  period  having  expired,   are  you   bound   by  no 
thing  else?     Surely,  as  honourable  and  high-minded 
men,  you  must  at  such  a  moment  as  the  present  feel 
other  obligations  than  the  law  imposes.     A  fear  of 
the  punishment  of  the  law  did  not  bring  you  into 
camp; — that  its  demands  are  satisfied  will  not  take 
you  from  it.     You  had  higher  objects  in  view — some 
greater  good  to  attain.     This  your  general  believes  : 
nor   can   he   believe   otherwise,   without   doing   you 
great  injustice. 

"Your  services  are  not  asked  for  longer  than 
twenty  days ;  and  who  will  hesitate  making  such  a 
sacrifice,  when  the  good  of  his  country,  and  his  own 
fame,  are  at  stake  ?  Who,  under  the  present  aspect 
of  affairs,  will  even  reckon  it  a  sacrifice  ?  When  we 
set  out  to  meet  the  enemy,  this  post  must  be  retained 
and  defended :  if  any  of  you  will  remain  and  render 
this  service,  it  will  be  no  less  important  than  if  you 
had  marched  to  the  battle ;  nor  will  your  general  less 
thankfully  acknowledge  it.  Tuesday  next,  the  line  of 


198  GEORGIA    MILITIA. 

march  will  be  taken  up :  and  in  a  few  days  thereafter 
the  objects  of  the  excursion  will  be  effected.  As  pa 
triotic  men,  then,  I  ask  you  for  your  services ;  and 
thus  long  I  have  no  doubt  you  will  cheerfully  render 
them.  I  am  well  aware  that  you  are  all  anxious  to 
return  to  your  families  and  homes,  and  that  you  are 
entitled  to  do  so ;  yet  stay  a  little  longer — go  with 
me  and  meet  the  enemy,  and  you  can  then  return  not 
only  with  the  consciousness  of  having  performed  your 
duty,  but  with  the  glorious  exultation  of  having  done 
even  more  than  duty  required." 

In  answer  to  this  address,  Colonel  Lilliard  replied, 
that  having  been  called  upon  by  the  several  captains 
in  his  retrrn  to  make  a  statement  of  those  in  their 
respective  companies  who  were  willing  to  remain  be 
yond  the  period  of  their  engagement,  it  appeared  that 
none  would  consent  to  do  so  except  Captain  Hamilton 
and  three  of  his  men.  General  Jackson  therefore  or 
dered  Colonel  Lilliard  to  march  on  the  10th  to  Fort 
Armstrong,  and  thence  to  Knoxville,  when  the  troops 
would  be  discharged  by  General  Cocke. 

While  General  Jackson  was  thus  embarrassed  and 
prevented  from  accomplishing  any  important  service, 
by  the  desertion  of  his  troops,  the  enemy  had  suffered 
severe  losses  from  the  gallantry  of  the  militia  of  Geor 
gia.  Governor  Early  of  that  state,  on  the  8th  of  No 
vember,  called  the  attention  of  the  legislature  to  the 
necessity  of  making  provision  for  defence  against  the 
Creeks.  Pursuant  to  his  recommendation,  a  considera 
ble  force  of  militia  was  called  out,  and  placed  under 
the  command  of  Brigadier-General  Floyd.  On  the 
29th  of  the  same  month,  General  Floyd  marched 


BATTLE    OF    AUTOUSSEE. 


199 


Burning  of  Indian  villages. 


against  the  Indian  town  of  Autoussee,  situated  on  the 
Tallapoosa  river,  eighteen  miles  from  the  Hickory 
Ground.  At  this  place  were  assembled  the  warriors 
of  eight  towns,  composing  a  very  formidable  force. 
The  army  of  General  Floyd  consisted  of  nine  hun 
dred  and  fifty  militia,  and  about  three  hundred  friendly 
Indians.  The  attack  was  made  early  on  the  morning 
of  the  29th,  and  was  succeeded  by  a  fierce  contest  of 
three  hours'  duration.  The  enemy  were  entirely  de 
feated,  and  forced  to  abandon  their  town,  leaving  two 
hundred  warriors  dead  upon  the  field.  Four  hundred 
houses  were  burnt  to  the  ground,  and  the  whole  was 

accomplished  with  a  loss  of  only  eleven  men.    On  the 
16 


•200  ECCANACHACA    BURNT. 

first  of  January,  1814,  General  Jackson  received  infor 
mation  of  another  brilliant  victory,  gained  by  General 
Claiborne.  On  the  23d  of  December,  that  officer  at 
tacked  Eccanachaca,  or  the  Holy  Ground,  an  Indian 
military  depot,  situated  on  the  Alabama  river.  The 
prophets,  Weatherford,  Francis,  and  Sinquister,  resi 
ded  at  this  town.  The  enemy  were  driven  from  their 
post,  losing  about  forty  warriors,  and  the  town  was 
reduced  to  ashes.  Another  village,  eight  miles  distant, 
was  destroyed  on  the  following  day. 

These  victories  struck  terror  into  the  ranks  of  the 
enemy,  and  by  inspiring  the  militia  with  confidence  in 
themselves,  materially  contributed  to  the  subsequent 
victories. 


CHAPTER     IX. 

EMUCKFAW. 

[OLONEL  CARROLL,  who 

had  been  deputed  by  Gene 
ral  Cocke  to  raise  the  re 
inforcements,  having    been 
unable,  by  using  every  ex 
ertion,  to  obtain  volunteers 
for  six  months,  was  obliged 
to    complete    his    number 
with    mounted    men,  engaged    to    serve    for    sixty 
days.     General  Jackson  was  unwilling  to  set  the  dan 
gerous  precedent  of  engaging  troops  for  so  short  a 
26 


202  EMUCKFAW. 

period ;  but  the  urgency  of  the  case  admitted  of  no 
delay,  and  he  was  obliged  to  acquiesce  in  the  arrange 
ment.     General  Pinckney  had  requested  him  to  act 
in  concert  with  the  forces  from  Georgia ;  and  it  was 
to  this  end  that  he  manifested  so  much  anxiety  to  re 
tain  Lilliard's  regiment.     The  departure  of  that  corps 
defeated  his  plans ;  but  he  still  hoped  to  accomplish 
something  with  his  new  troops,  in  aid  of  General  Clai- 
borne,  who  was   encamped    on    the   Alabama   river, 
eighty-five  miles  above   Fort   Stoddart.     The  newly 
raised  volunteers  assembled  at  lluntsville,  where  they 
remained,  wraiting  until  supplies  should  be  received  at 
head-quarters  sufficient  for  their  support.    Could  they 
have  proceeded  directly  on,  they  would  have  reached 
the  general  early  enough  to  enable  him  to  proceed 
against  the  enemy,  before  the  period  at  which  Lilliard's 
regiment  would  have  been  entitled  to  a  discharge. 
General  Jackson  strained  every  nerve  in  order  to  ac 
complish  this  end,  urging  Colonel  Carroll  to  make  ac 
tive  exertions  to  send  forward  all  the  provisions  in  the 
hands  of  the  contractors,  and  to  hasten  the  arrange 
ments  for  procuring  larger  supplies.    So  important  did 
he  consider  this  junction,  that  he  was  willing  to  sub 
ject  himself  to  considerable  hazard,  rather  than  not 
effect  it.     To  Colonel  Carroll  he  wrote,  on  learning 
that  he  was  on  his  way  with  his  newly  raised  troops: 
"  I  am  happy  to  hear  of  your  success  in  procuring 
volunteers.      I   shall   receive  with  open  arms  those 
who,  in  this  hour  of  need,  so  gallantly  come  forth  to 
uphold  the  sinking  reputation  of  their  state.     I  am 
more  anxious  than  ever  to  recommence   operations, 
and  indeed  they  have  become  more  necessary  than 


LETTER  TO  COLONEL  CARROLL.     203 

ever ;  yet  I  cannot  move  without  supplies.     As  this 
will  meet  you  near  where  the  contractors  are,  you  will 
be  better  able  to  ascertain  than  I  can  inform  you, 
when  that  happy  moment  will  arrive ;  and,  I  pray  you, 
use  your  best  exertions  to  have  it  brought  about  with 
the  least  possible  delay.     Until  supplies,  and  the  means 
of  transportation  can  be  furnished  to  justify  another 
movement  from  this  place,  it  will  be  better  that  you 
remain  where  your  horses  can  be  fed.     I  say  this,  upon 
the  supposition  that  this  will  be  shortly  done;  but 
were  it  certain  that  the  same  causes  of  delay  which 
have  so  long  retarded  our  operations  were  still  to  con 
tinue,  I  would,  at  every  risk,  and  under  every  respon 
sibility,  take  up  the  march,  as  soon   as  the   troops 
now  with  you  could  arrive.     For  such  a  measure  I 
should  seek  my  justification  in  the  imperiousness  of 
the  circumstances  by  which  I  am  surrounded;  and 
rely  for  success  upon  heaven,  and  the  enterprise  of  my 
followers. 

"  Partial  supplies  have  arrived  for  my  use  at  Fort 
Armstrong,  which  will  be  ordered  on  to-morrow.  This, 
with  the  scanty  stock  on  hand,  will  at  least  keep  us 
from  starving  a  few  weeks,  until  we  can  quarter  upon 
the  enemy,  or  gain  assistance  from  the  country  below. 
General  Claiborne,  who  is  encamped  eighty-five  miles 
above  Fort  Stoddart,  writes  me,  that  arrangements  are 
made  to  send  supplies  up  the  Alabama  to  the  junction  of 
the  Coosa  and  Tallapoosa.  Upon  such  resources  will  I 
depend,  sooner  than  wait  until  my  army  wastes  away, 
or  becomes  through  inaction  unfit  for  service." 

All  his  exertions,  however,  were  insufficient  to  ac 
complish  the  desired  end  ;  and  he  was  obliged  to  dis- 
16* 


204  EMUCKFAW. 

miss  Lilliard's  regiment,  and  await  the  arrival  of  sup 
plies.  On  the  2d  of  January,  1814,  Colonel  Carroll 
arrived  at  head-quarters,  and  reported  his  proceedings 
to  the  general.  The  number  of  the  new  volunteers 
being  only  eight  hundred  and  fifty,  Colonel  Carroll  was 
directed  to  have  them  formed  into  two  regiments, 
under  officers  of  their  own  choice  ;  and  an  order  was 
put  into  his  hands  for  General  Coffee,  who  was  then 
at  Huntsville,  requiring  him  to  march  them  to  Fort 
Strother  on  the  10th  instant.  That  officer,  learning 
that  those  troops  were  unwilling  that  he  should  have 
the  command  of  them,  expressed  a  wish  to  General 
Jackson  that  it  might  not  be  assigned  him ;  in  conse 
quence  of  which,  and  their  own  request,  the  commander- 
in-chief  had  determined  that  after  the  arrival  in  camp 
there  should  be  no  intermediate  commander  over  them 
between  their  colonels  and  himself.  The  volunteers 
were  made  acquainted  with  this  arrangement. 

When  General  Coffee  received  the  instructions 
which  General  Jackson  had  sent  him,  he  immediately 
ordered  Colonels  Perkins  and  Biggins,  who  had  been 
chosen  to  the  command  of  the  two  regiments,  to  march 
them  directly  for  head-quarters.  They,  however,  re 
fused  to  obey  the  orders  of  General  Coffee,  to  march 
on  the  10th  of  January;  and  did  not  arrive  in  camp 
until  the  13th.  They  alleged,  in  their  own  justifica 
tion,  that  Coffee  was  not  their  rightful  commander,  and 
they  were  not  bound  to  obey  his  orders.  He  conse 
quently  charged  them  with  disobedience,  and  demanded 
their  arrest.  This  must  have  been  granted  had  they 
not  yielded  to  the  advice  of  more  prudent  friends,  and 
apologized  for  their  unsoldierlike  and  insulting  conduct. 


MARCH    TO    ENOTICHOPCO.  205 

Having  received  this  reinforcement,  General  Jackson 
resolved  to  march  immediately  against  the  Indians. 
He  had  received  advices  on  the  5th  from  Captain 
M'Alpin,  commanding  temporarily  at  Fort  Armstrong, 
that  his  post  was  menaced  with  an  attack  by  the  war 
riors  of  fourteen  or  fifteen  Creek  towns.  He  had  also 
been  informed  by  General  Pinckney  that  General 
Floyd  was  about  to  inarch  to  the  Tallapoosa,  and  re 
commended  to  make  a  movement  against  such  of  the 
hostile  towns  as  were  near  his  camp.  Accordingly, 
on  the  15th,  the  mounted  men  were  advanced  three 
miles  from  Fort  Strother ;  and,  on  the  next  day,  being 
joined  by  the  remainder  of  the  army,  they  marched 
for  Talladega,  where  they  arrived  on  the  18th.  Here 
they  were  reinforced  by  about  two  hundred  Cherokees 
and  friendly  Creeks. 

The  whole  force  of  General  Jackson  now  consisted 
of  eleven  hundred  and  thirty  men,  including  officers. 
At  Talladega  he  received  another  letter  from  the  com 
mandant  at  Fort  Armstrong,  assuring  him  that  there 
was  no  doubt  that  that  post  would  shortly  be  attacked 
by  a  force  of  nine  hundred  men,  who  were  assembled 
near  the  mouth  of  Emuckfaw  creek,  in  a  bend  of  the 
Tallapoosa  river.  He  also  received  information  from 
General  Pinckney  that  General  Floyd  would  march 
the  next  day  from  Cowetaw,  and  establish  a  post  at 
Tuckabatchee  in  ten  days.  He  immediately  set  out, 
and  arrived  at  Enotichopco,  a  small  Hillabee  village, 
on  the  20th.  This  village  was  twelve  miles  from 
Emuckfaw.  The  spies  being  unacquainted  with  the 
country,  General  Jackson  was  compelled  to  move  with 


206  EMUCKFAW. 

great  caution ;  which  the  want  of  discipline  and  sub 
ordination  among  his  troops  rendered  very  difficult. 

On  the  next  morning  he  marched  from  Enotichopco, 
and  took  the  most  direct  route  to  the  enemy's  camp. 
Two  Indians  were  seen  about  two  o'clock,  but  suc 
ceeded  in  making  their  escape.  In  the  evening  several 
large  trails  were  discovered,  all  tending  to  one  point. 
Convinced  that  he  was  close  to  the  encampment  of 
the  enemy,  Jackson  encamped  his  little  army  in  a 
hollow  square,  on  an  eligible  site,  upon  the  eminences 
of  Emuckfaw,  sent  out  his  spies,  posted  his  pickets, 
doubled  his  sentinels,  and  made  every  arrangement  to 
guard  against  a  night  attack.  Three  Indians  were 
seen  and  fired  on  about  ten  o'clock,  and  one  of  them 
killed.  About  midnight  the  spies  came  in  and  re 
ported  that  they  had  discovered  a  large  encampment 
of  Indians  about  three  miles  distant,  and  that  they 
were  apprised  of  the  approach  of  the  army. 

On  the  morning  of  the  22d,  before  daylight,  the 
alarm  guns  of  the  sentinels,  succeeded  by  shrieks  and 
savage  yells,  gave  notice  of  the  attack  of  the  savages. 
The  camp  fires  had  been  kept  up  all  night,  and  the 
Indians  supposed  that  they  would  have  little  to  do  but 
to  pick  off  the  general  and  his  men  by  the  light  of 
their  own  fires.  "  To  their  utter  astonishment,  how 
ever,  General  Jackson  used  darkness  as  a  mantle  to 
cover  his  men  from  their  view,  while  his  camp  fires 
being  built  just  far  enough  beyond  the  hollow  square 
to  compel  the  Indians  as  soon  as  they  arrived  within 
good  rifle  range,  to  come  within  the  circle  of  light, 
where  blinking  they  could  see  nothing,  while  the  lurid 
glare  of  light  encircling  the  camp,  exposed  their  bodies 


BATTLE    OF    EMUCKFAW. 


207 


like  so  many  red  targets,  to  the  American  rifle  from 
the  dark  square  within,  where  stood  the  hero  and  his 
little  band  with  the  imponderable  elements  of  light 
and  darkness  pressed  into  his  service  to  make  him 
equal  to  the  enemy."  *  The  flash  of  the  rifle  disco 
vered  the  position  of  the  marksman,  and  the  savages 
extinguishing  the  fires,  commenced  a  furious  assault 

O  O  ' 

on  the  left  flank,  commanded  by  Colonel  Higgins, 
which  was  met  and  opposed  with  great  firmness. 
General  Coffee,  and  Colonels  Carroll  and  Sitter,  in 
stantly  repaired  to  the  point  of  attack,  and  by  exhor 
tation  and  the  performance  of  deeds  of  heroic  daring, 
encouraged  the  men  to  a  performance  of  their  duty. 
The  battle  raged  for  half  an  hour ;  the  brunt  of  which 
being  against  the  left  wing,  it  became  considerably 

*  Cartwright's  Eulogy. 


208  EMUCKFAW. 

weakened.  It  being  now  sufficiently  light  to  ascertain 
correctly  the  position  of  the  enemy,  Captain  Ferril's 
company  was  ordered  to  reinforce  the  left  wing ;  with 
the  whole  of  which  General  Coffee  charged  and  drove 
the  enemy  in  confusion  from  the  field.  The  Indians 
fled  about  two  miles,  and  many  of  them  were  slain. 
The  Americans  had  five  killed  and  twenty  wounded. 

Having  returned  from  the  pursuit,  General  Coffee 
was  detached  with  the  friendly  Indians  and  four  hun 
dred  men,  with  orders  to  destroy  the  enemy's  encamp 
ment,  unless  he  should  find  it  too  strongly  fortified. 
Having  ascertained  that  the  position  was  strong,  and 
not  to  be  taken  without  artillery,  Coffee  returned  to 
the  camp.  He  had  scarcely  done  so,  when  a  severe 
fire  was  opened  on  the  pickets,  posted  on  the  right, 
accompanied  by  the  horrible  war-whoop.  General 
Coffee  requested  permission  to  turn  the  enemy's  left 
flank ;  which  was  granted,  and  two  hundred  men  or 
dered  to  follow  him.  This  detachment  being  taken 
from  different  corps,  he  placed  himself  at  their  head, 
and  moved  briskly  forward.  Taking  advantage  of 
their  leader's  position  in  front,  those  in  the  rear  began 
to  drop  off  one  by  one,  without  his  knowledge,  until 
there  were  only  fifty-four  men  left  with  him.  With 
this  little  band  he  proceeded  to  execute  his  design,  and 
vigorously  attacked  a  superior  number  of  the  enemy. 
He  found  them  occupying  a  ridge  of  open  pine  timber 
covered  with  low  underwrood,  which  afforded  them 
many  opportunities  for  concealment.  To  deprive 
them  of  this  advantage,  which  they  are  very  dexterous 
in  taking,  Coffee  ordered  his  men  to  dismount  and 
charge  them.  This  order  was  promptly  obeyed ;  and 


CARROLL'S    DECISIVE    CHARGE.  211 

the  enemy,  driven  back  by  the  charge,  took  refuge  on 
the  margin  of  a  creek  covered  with  reeds,  where  they 
lay  concealed.  In  this  gallant  charge  General  Coffee 
was  wounded  through  the  body,  and  his  aid,  Major 
Donelson,  killed  by  a  ball  through  the  head ;  three  of 
his  men  also  fell. 

The  Indians  having  intended  the  attack  on  the 
right  as  a  feint,  now  with  their  main  force,  which  had 
hitherto  been  concealed,  made  a  violent  onset  on  Jack 
son's  left,  which  they  expected  to  find  \veakened  and 
in  disorder.  Jackson,  however,  who  had  apprehended 
their  design,  was  prepared  to  meet  them.  The  left  wing 
had  been  ordered  to  remain  firm  in  its  position ;  and 
when  the  first  gun  was  heard  in  that  quarter,  he 
repaired  thither  in  person,  and  strengthened  it  by  or 
dering  up  additional  forces  from  the  right.  The  first 
advance  of  the  enemy,  though  sudden  and  violent,  was 
sustained  with  firmness,  and  opposed  with  great  gal 
lantry.  The  assailants  now  maintained  the  battle  by 
quick  and  irregular  firing  from  behind  logs,  trees, 
shrubbery,  and  whatever  could  afford  concealment; 
behind  these  they  would  fire,  then  throw  themselves 
on  the  ground  and  reload,  when  they  would  again 
rise  and  discharge  their  guns.  After  sustaining  their 
fire  in  this  way  for  some  time,  a  charge  to  dislodge 
them  from  their  position  was  ordered ;  and  the  whole 
line,  led  by  Colonel  Carroll,  by  a  most  brilliant  and 
steady  movement,  broke  in  upon  them,  threw  them  into 
confusion,  and  drove  them  from  the  ground. 

In  the  meantime.  General  Coffee  was  making  every 
exertion  to  drive  the  savages  on  the  right  from  the 
fastnesses  into  which  they  had  retreated;  but,  finding 


212  ENOTICHOPCO. 

that  this  could  not  be  done  without  great  hazard  and 
considerable  loss,  he  determined  to  try  the  effect  of  a 
stratagem,  and  began  to  retire  towards  the  place  where 
he  had  first  dismounted.  This  expedient  produced  the 
desired  effect.  The  enemy,  presuming  it  to  be  a  re 
treat,  and  to  have  been  adopted  in  consequence  of  the 
severe  firing  they  had  heard  on  the  left  wing,  now  for 
sook  their  hiding-places  and  pursued  rapidly.  Coffee 
immediately  availed  himself  of  the  opportunity  thus 
afforded  of  contending  with  them  again  in  open  fight ; 
and  a  severe  conflict  commenced,  and  was  obstinately 
maintained  about  an  hour,  during  which  time  the  loss  on 
both  sides  was  nearly  equal.  At  this  critical  juncture, 
when  several  of  the  detachment  had  been  killed,  many 
wounded,  and  the  remainder  of  the  little  Spartan  band 
exhausted  by  fatigue;  the  dispersion  of  the  enemy  being 
effected  on  the  left,  a  reinforcement  was  despatched  by 
General  Jackson,  which,  making  its  appearance  on  the 
enemy's  left  flank,  put  an  end  to  the  contest.  General 
Coffee,  though  severely  wounded,  instantly  ordered  a 
charge ;  when  the  enemy,  foreseeing  their  doom,  fled 
in  consternation,  and  were  pursued  with  dreadful 
slaughter.  Forty-five  warriors  were  slain.  Thus 
drew  to  a  close  a  day  of  almost  continual  fighting. 

Having  brought  in  and  buried  the  dead,  and 
dressed  the  wounded,  preparations  were  made  to  guard 
against  an  attack  by  night.  The  next  day,  General 
Jackson,  having  effected,  as  he  believed,  the  main  ob 
jects  of  the  expedition,  a  diversion  in  favour  of  General 
Floyd,  who  was  supposed  to  be  carrying  on  his  ope 
rations  lower  down  on  the  Tallapoosa,  and  the  relief 
of  Fort  Armstrong,  prepared  to  return  to  Fort  Strother. 


LETTER    TO    GENERAL    PINCKNEY.  213 

General  Jackson,  in  his  letter  to  Major-General 
Pinckney,  said  that  "  many  causes  concurred  to  make 
such  a  measure  necessary,  as  I  had  not  set  out  pre 
pared,  or  with  a  view  to  make  a  permanent  establish 
ment.  I  considered  it  worse  than  useless  to  advance 
and  destroy  an  empty  encampment.  I  had,  indeed, 
hoped  to  have  met  the  enemy  there ;  but  having  met 
and  beaten  them  a  little  sooner,  I  did  not  think  it  ne 
cessary  or  prudent  to  proceed  any  farther — not  neces 
sary,  because  I  had  accomplished  all  I  could  expect  to 
effect  by  marching  to  their  encampment ;  and  because, 
if  it  was  proper  to  contend  with  and  weaken  their 
forces  still  farther,  this  object  would  be  more  certainly 
attained,  by  commencing  a  return,  which,  having  to 
them  the  appearance  of  a  retreat,  would  inspirit  them 
to  pursue  me.  Not  prudent — because  of  the  number  of 
my  wounded  ;  of  the  reinforcements  from  below,  which 
the  enemy  might  be  expected  to  receive ;  of  the  starving 
condition  of  my  horses,  they  having  had  neither  corn 
nor  cane  for  two  days  and  nights ;  of  the  scarcity  of 
supplies  for  my  men,  the  Indians  who  joined  me  at  Tal- 
ladega  having  drawn  none,  and  being  wholly  destitute ; 
and  because,  if  the  enemy  pursued  me,  as  it  was  likely 
they  would,  the  diversion  in  favour  of  General  Floyd 
would  be  more  complete  than  effectual."  Determined 
by  these  considerations,  Jackson  ordered  litters  to  be 
formed  for  the  transportation  of  the  sick  and  wounded, 
and  the  other  preparations  to  be  made  for  a  return 
march.  Everything  being  ready,  it  was  commenced 
at  half-past  ten  o'clock  next  morning,  January  23d, 
and  continued  without  interruption  until  near  night ; 
when  they  reached  Enotichopco,  having  passed  safely 
17 


214 


EMUCKFAW 


on  the  way  a  dangerous  defile,  occasioned  by  a  hurri 
cane.  Expecting  to  be  pursued  and  attacked,  the  army 
inarched  in  order  of  battle ;  the  sick  and  wounded  being 
placed  in  the  centre.  Every  precaution  was  taken  to 
guard  against  an  attack  during  the  night.  A  breast 
work  was  thrown  up,  sentinels  doubled,  spies  sent  out, 
and  every  arrangement  made  to  repel  any  hostile  at 
tack.  Thus  guarded,  they  safely  passed  the  night, 
though  from  certain  signs  the  general  was  sure  that 
the  savages  had  been  in  pursuit  all  day,  and  that  then 
they  could  not  be  far  distant. 


CHAPTER    X. 
ENOTICHOPCO. 

JHE  night  at  Enotichopco  was  spent  in  mo 
mentary  expectation  of  an  attack ;  but  it 
wore  away  without  any  attempt  on  the 
part  of  the  savages  to  renew  the  battle. 
This  unusual  circumstance  in  Indian  war 
fare,  led  the  general  to  conjecture  that  an  ambuscade  had 
been  prepared,  and  that  an  attack  would  be  made  on 
him  while  crossing  the  creek  in  his  front ;  which,  being 


216  ENOTICHOPCO. 

deep,  and  the  banks  rugged,  and  thickly  covered  with 
reeds,  afforded  many  advantages  for  such  a  design. 
Near  the  crossing-place  was  a  deep  ravine,  formed  by 
the  projection  of  two  hills,  overgrown  with  thick 
shrubbery  and  brown  sedge,  which  afforded  every 
convenience  for  concealment,  whilst  it  entirely  pre 
vented  pursuit.  Along  this  route  the  army  had  passed 
in  advancing ;  through  it  it  Avould  naturally  be  ex 
pected  to  return  ;  and  here  it  was  believed  an  ambus 
cade  would  be  formed,  if  any  were  intended.  To  guard 
against  this,  Jackson  determined  to  take  a  different 
route.  Accordingly,  early  in  the  morning,  he  secretly 
despatched  a  few  pioneers  to  seek  another  crossing- 
place  below.  A  convenient  one  was  soon  discovered 
about  six  hundred  yards  below  the  old  one  -,  and 
thither  the  general  now  led  his  army,  having  pre 
viously  formed  his  front  and  rear-guards,  and  his  right 
and  left  columns,  with  the  sick  and  wounded  in  the 
centre.  Before  taking  up  the  line  of  march  he  issued 
a  general  order,  pointing  out  the  manner  in  which  the 
men  should  be  formed  in  the  event  of  an  attack  on  the 
front  or  rear,  or  on  the  flanks,  and  particularly  cau 
tioning  the  officers  to  halt  and  form  accordingly,  the 
instant  the  alarm  gun  should  be  heard. 

A  handsome  slope  of  open  woodland  led  down  to 
the  new  ford,  where,  except  immediately  on  the  margin 
of  the  creek,  which  was  covered  with  a  few  reeds, 
there  was  nothing  to  obstruct  the  view.  The  front 
guards  and  part  of  the  columns  had  passed  without 
interruption;  the  wounded  were  also  over,  and  the 
artillery  just  entering  the  creek,  when  the  alarm  gun 
was  heard  in  the  rear. 


BATTLE    OF    ENOTICHOPCO.  219 

The  Indians,  learning  by  their  spies  that  the  route 
of  the  army  had  been  changed,  quitted  the  defile  where 
they  had  expected  to  commence  the  assault,  and  ad 
vancing  on  the  rear  guard,  attacked  a  company  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Russell.  This  company, 
though  assailed  by  a  vast  multitude,  returned  the 
fire,  and  gradually  retired  until  it  reached  the  rear 
guard ;  the  centre  column  of  which,  according  to  ex 
press  instructions  given,  were  in  such  a  case  to  face 
about  and  act  as  the  advance ;  whilst  the  right  and 
left  columns  should  be  turned  on  their  pivots,  so  as  to 
fall  on  the  flanks  and  rear  of  the  enemy,  and  thus  ren 
der  his  destruction  sure.  The  right  column  of  the 
rear  guard  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Perkins,  the 
left  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Stump,  and  the  centre  co 
lumn  by  Colonel  Carroll.  General  Jackson  was  in  the 
middle  of  the  creek  when  the  firing  and  yelling  com 
menced.  Having  instructed  his  aid  to  form  a  line  for 
the  protection  of  the  wounded,  who  were  but  a  short 
distance  in  advance,  and  afterwards  to  turn  the  left 
column,  he  himself  proceeded  to  the  right  for  a  similar 
purpose.  But  what  was  the  astonishment  of  the  ge 
neral,  who  the  day  before  saw  these  troops  fight  like 
veterans,  now  to  behold^the  right  and  left  columns-of 
the  rear  guard,  after  a  feeble  resistance  precipitately 
give  way,  bringing  with  them  confusion  and  dismay, 
and  by  their  hasty  and  irregular  flight  obstructing  the 
passage  over  which  the  principal  strength  of  the  army 
was  to  pass.  This  shameful  retreat  was  extremely 
disastrous,  and  was  only  prevented  from  being  fatal 
by  the  determined  bravery  of  a  few.  The  greater 

part  of  the  centre  column  followed  the  example  of  the 
17* 


220 


ENOTICHOPCO. 


other  two,  and  precipitated  themselves  into  the  creek, 
leaving  not  more  than  twenty-five  men,  who,  being 
formed  by  Colonel  Carroll,  maintained  their  ground 
as  long  as  it  was  possible  to  maintain  it.  The  artil 
lery  company,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Armstrong, 
and  composed  of  young  men  of  the  first  families,  who 
had  volunteered  their  services  at  the  commencement 
of  the  campaign,  formed  with  their  muskets  before 
the  only  piece  of  ordnance  they  had,  and  hastily 
dragged  it  from  the  creek  to  an  eminence  from  which 
they  could  play  to  advantage.  Before  they  could 
place  it  in  the  desired  position,  a  yell  from  the  savages 
and  a  shower  of  bullets  warned  them  to  prepare  for 
their  defence.  The  Indians  endeavoured  to  charge 
and  take  it ;  but  the  young  men  formed  before  it  with 
their  muskets  and  resolutely  defended  it.  These 
yo*:ng  men,  the  few  who  remained  with  Colonel  Car- 
roil  and  the  gallant  Captain  Quarles,  who  soon  fell  at 
their  head,  with  Russell's  company  of  spies,  the  whole 
numbering  not  more  than  one  hundred,  maintained 
with  the  utmost  firmness  a  contest  for  many  minutes 
against  a  force  at  least;  five  times  greater  than  their 
own,  and  checked  the  advance  of  a  foe  already  greatly 
inspirited  from  the  consternation  his  first  shock  had 
produced.  Every  man  who  there  fought  seemed  to 
prefer  death  to  flight. 

The  six-pounder  was  dragged  to  the  top  of  the 
eminence,  and  turned  upon  the  Indians.  The  rammer 
and  pricker  of  the  gun,  having  been  left  in  the  haste 
of  the  moment  upon  the  limber,  private  Constantino 
Perkins  rammed  the  cartridge  home  with  the  butt  of 
his  musket,  and  private  Craven  Jackson  picked  it  with 


BATTLE    OF    ENOTICHOPCO.  221 

his  ramrod,  primed  with  a  musket  cartridge,  and  fired. 
This  drew  the  fire  of  the  savages  upon  them ;  and  be 
fore  they  could  again  load  and  fire,  the  brave  Lieuten 
ant  Armstrong,  their  commander,  fell  badly  wounded 
in  the  groin.  By  his  side  fell  Captain  Hamilton,  who 
having  been  abandoned  by  his  men  at  Fort  Strother, 
with  his  two  brothers  and  his  aged  father,  had  attach 
ed  himself  to  the  artillery  company  as  a  private,  and 
in  that  capacity  showed  how  deserving  he  was  to 
command  by  the  fidelity  with  which  he  obeyed.  Ly 
ing  upon  the  ground  and  supposed  to  be  dying,  the 
thoughts  of  the  brave  Armstrong  were  still  for  his 
country.  Unable  himself  to  aid  them,  he  called  to 
his  men,  "  My  brave  fellows,  some  may  fall ;  but  you 
must  save  the  cannon."  He  was  answered  with  a 
shout  for  vengeance ;  and  as  Perkins  and  Jackson, 
using  their  former  plan,  again  fired,  many  were  the 
warriors  that  breathed  their  last. 

In  the  meantime,  General  Jackson  and  his  staff 
had  been  enabled,  by  great  exertions,  to  restore  some 
thing  like  order.  The  columns  were  again  formed, 
and  put  in  motion ;  and  small  detachments  had  been 
sent  across  the  creek  to  support  the  little  band-  that 
there  maintained  their  ground.  The  enemy,  perceiving 
the  columns  advancing,  and  being  warmly  assailed  on 
their  left  flank  by  Captain  Gordon  at  the  head  of  his 
company  of  spies,  who  had  hastened  from  the  front 
and  re-crossed  the  creek,  were  in  turn  panic-struck, 
and  fled  in  confusion,  leaving  their  blankets  behind 
them.  Detachments  were  ordered  in  pursuit,  who, 
in  a  chase  of  two  miles,  destroyed  many  and  dispersed 
the  remainder. 


222  ENOTICHOPCO. 

It  was  some  time  before  Jackson,  though  making 
the  greatest  exertions,  could  restore  order.  In  addi 
tion  to  the  assistance  received  from  his  staff,  who 
were  everywhere  encouraging  the  timid  and  seeking 
to  arrest  the  flight  of  the  columns,  he  derived  much  help 
from  the  activity  of  General  Coffee.  That  officer,  in 
consequence  of  the  severe  wound  he  had  received  at 
Emuckfaw,  had  the  day  before  been  carried  in  a  litter. 
Understanding  that  an  attack  was  expected,  he  that 
morning  mounted  his  horse  and  aided  during  the  ac 
tion  with  his  usual  calm  and  deliberate  firmness.  To 
encourage  the  men,  General  Jackson,  pointing  to  Ge 
neral  Coffee,  exclaimed,  "  We  '11  conquer  the  enemy ; 
the  dead  have  risen  and  come  to  our  aid."  Not  only 
Coffee,  but  all  the  officers  of  his  brigade,  who,  having 
been  abandoned  by  their  men,  had  formed  themselves 
into  a  corps,  and  followed  the  army  as  privates,  ren 
dered  manifest  now  the  value  of  experience.  This  was 
not  the  moment  for  fancied  rules  of  etiquette.  The 
very  men  who,  a  little  time  before,  would  have  dis 
dained  advice,  and  spurned  an  order  from  any  but 
their  own  commanders,  did  not  scruple  now  to  be  regu 
lated  by  those  who  seemed  possessed  of  the  power  to 
extricate  them  from  their  danger.  The  hospital 
surgeon,  Dr.  Shelby,  the  adjutant-general,  Sitler, 
Captain  Gordon,  and  many  others,  particularly  dis 
tinguished  themselves  in  the  battle. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  remark,  however,  that, 
but  for  General  Jackson,  everything  must  have  gone 
to  ruin.  On  him  all  hopes  were  rested.  In  that  mo 
ment  of  confusion  he  was  the  rallying  point,  even  for 
the  spirits  of  the  brave.  Firm  and  energetic,  and,  at 


EFFECTS    OF    THE    BATTLE.  223 

the  same  time,  perfectly  self-possessed,  his  example 
and  his  authority  alike  contributed  to  arrest  the  flying, 
and  give  confidence  to  those  who  maintained  their 
ground.  Cowards  forgot  their  panic  and  fronted 
danger,  when  they  heard  his  voice  and  beheld  his 
manner  ;  and  the  brave  would  have  formed  around  his 
body  a  rampart  with  their  own.  In  the  midst  of 
showers  of  balls,  of  which  he  seemed  unmindful,  he 
was  seen  performing  the  duties  of  subordinate  officers, 
rallying  the  alarmed,  stopping  them  in  their  flight, 
forming  his  columns,  and  inspiriting  them  by  his 
example.  An  army,  suddenly  dismayed,  was  thus 
rescued  from  the  destruction  that  lately  appeared 
inevitable. 

Jackson's  whole  loss  in  the  several  engagements 
on  the  22d  and  23d  of  January,  was  only  twenty 
killed  and  seventy-five  wounded,  some  of  whom,  how 
ever,  afterwards  died.  The  loss  of  the  enemy  could 
not  be  accurately  ascertained :  one  hundred  of  their 
warriors  were  found  dead ;  but  this  must  fall  conside 
rably  short  of  the  number  really  killed.  The  number 
of  the  wounded  cannot  be  conjectured. 

All  the  effects  designed  to  be  produced  by  the  ex 
cursion  were  now  produced.  If  an  attack  was  medi 
tated  against  Fort  Armstrong,  it  was  prevented.  A 
most  fortunate  diversion  was  made  in  favour  of  Gene 
ral  Floyd.  The  number  of  the  enemy  was  diminished, 
and  the  confidence  they  had  derived  from  the  vexatious 
delays  which  Jackson  was  made  to  experience  de 
stroyed.  Discontent  was  kept  out  of  his  army ;  while 
the  troops  who  would  have  been  exposed  to  it  were 
beneficially  employed.  The  enemy's  country  was  ex- 


224  ENOTICHOPCO. 

plored,  and  a  road  cut  to  the  point  where,  it  was  pro 
bable,  their  force  would  be  concentrated  when  driven 
from  the  country  below.  But,  perhaps,  the  greatest 
good  that  resulted  from  the  expedition,  was  the  effect 
produced  on  the  minds  of  the  people  at  home,  from 
whom  was  to  be  collected  a  force  sufficient  to  termi 
nate  the  war. 

The  enemy  did  not  again  harass  the  march  of  the 
little  army.  It  was  continued  until  the  27th,  when  they 
arrived  at  Fort  Strother,  full  of  the  confidence  which 
is  inspired  by  success. 

This  success  was  justly  due  to  the  courage,  energy, 
and  military  talent  of  General  Jackson.  To  his  in 
domitable  spirit  and  incorruptible  patriotism  may  be 
ascribed  the  final  triumph  of  the  American  arms,  and 
the  subsequent  security  of  the  frontiers  against  savage 
depredations.  If,  when  the  patriotic  impulses  which 
originally  animated  the  Tennessee  troops  gave  place  to 
mutinous  discontent ;  when  the  jealousy  of  his  brother 
officers  frustrated  his  plans  for  crushing  the  hostile 
force  ;  when  the  very  executive  of  the  state  of  Ten 
nessee  was  disposed  to  abandon  the  ground  which  had 
been  so  gallantly  won  at  Talladega,  and  the  prospect 
of  starvation  stared  the  little  band  at  Fort  Strother  in 
the  very  face ;  if,  at  these  times,  the  mind  of  Jackson 
had  succumbed,  and  his  resolution  been  shaken — who 
can  imagine — who  can  fix  the  bounds  of  the  desolation 
which  would  inevitably  have  ensued!  But  his  reso 
lution  once  fixed,  could  not  be  moved  ;  and  his  firm 
adherence  to  the  path  of  duty  saved  his  country,  and 
crowned  his  manly  brow  with  a  wreath  of  never-fading 
laurels. 


VOLUNTEERS    DISCHARGED.  '    225 

Shortly  after  he  returned  to  Fort  Strother,  the  time 
of  service  of  the  sixty-day  volunteers  being  nearly  ex 
pired,  they  were  discharged.     He  detained  them  only 
long  enough  after  his  return,  to  complete  boats  for  the 
transportation  of  provisions  down  the  Coosa;  when 
that  was  done  he  ordered  them  to  be  marched  home 
and  honourably  dismissed.     The  further  services  of 
the  artillery  corps  were  also  dispensed  with.     This 
company  had  rendered  important   services,  and  ad 
hered  to  him  with  great  devotedness,  in  every  vicissi 
tude  and  through  every  difficulty  he  had  encountered, 
from  the  first  commencement  of  the  campaign.     His 
parting  with  them  was  accordingly  very  interesting  and 
affecting.    Although  from  the  high  sense  he  entertained 
of  their  bravery  and  fidelity  he  would  gladly  have  re 
tained  them,  yet  he  was  too  well  convinced  of  the 
many  sacrifices  these  young  men  had  made,  of  the 
valour  they  had  displayed,  and  the  patience  with  which 
they  had   submitted   in   those   moments  of  scarcity 
which  had  raised  up  discontents  and  mutiny  in  his 
camp,  not  to  feel  a  desire  to  gratify  their  wishes,  and 
permit  them  honourably  to  retire  from  a  service  which 
they  had  already  so  materially  benefited.      By  the 
exertions  of  the  governor,  the  ranks  were  filled  with 
fresh  troops ;  and  the  general  and  his  officers  exerted 
themselves  actively  in  disciplining  them.     While  thus 
employed,  he  received  agreeable  news  of  the  defeat 
of  the  Indians  by  General  Floyd   at  Chatahouchee. 
The  savages  made  a  furious  attack  upon  his  post  at 
Camp  Defiance,  on  the  morning  of  the  27th  of  January ; 
they  were  met  with  firmness  by  the  American  troops, 
and  after  a  bloody  contest  driven  from  the  field.  Thirty- 
29 


226 


ENOT1CHOPCO. 


seven  of  them  were  left  dead  on  the  field  of  battle,  and 
the  weapons  and  articles  of  dress  left  behind  proved 
their  whole  loss  to  have  been  much  greater.  The 
Georgia  troops  lost  seventeen  killed,  and  one  hundred 
and  thirty-two  wounded.  In  this  action,  as  well  as  in 
those  of  Emuckfaw  and  Enotichopco,  the  friendly  In 
dians  behaved  with  great  gallantry,  and  rendered  im 
portant  service. 


CHAPTER    XI. 
TOHOPEK  A. 


I 


N  order  to  supply  the  place 
of  the  troops  who  had  just 
been  discharged,  General 
Cocke  had  been  directed  to 
bring  into  the  field  imme 
diately  the  East  Tennessee 
troops  he  had  failed  to  raise 
when  previously  ordered  to 
do  so.  These  men  were  to  be  mustered  into  the 
United  States  service,  to  serve  three  months  from  the 
28th  of  February.  Two  thousand  men  were  raised 
under  this  order;  although  Cocke  pretended  that  it 
was  impossible  to  execute  it.  Three  thousand  men 
from  the  second,  or  West  Tennessee  division,  were 
also  called  out,  under  Brigadier-General  Johnston. 
On  the  6th  of  February,  the  39th  regiment  of 

United  States  infantry,  under  Colonel  Williams,  ar- 
18 


228  TOHOPEKA. 

rived   at  Fort  Strother.     The   army  was  now  suffi 
ciently  strong  to  commence  active  operations ;  but  the 
failure  of  supplies   again  impeded  their  movements. 
Notwithstanding  the  dismissal  of  the  old  contractors 
and  the  employment  of  new  ones,  the  service  con 
tinued  to  be  very  imperfectly  performed.    The  general, 
becoming  indignant  at  the  delay  thus  occasioned,  or 
dered  that   provisions    should  be   purchased   at   the 
places  where  they  were  to  have  been  furnished  by  the 
contractors,  and  that  they  should  be  obliged  to  bear 
the  expense.     Having  thus  ensured  a  sufficiency  of 
provisions,  the  militia  were  ordered  to  march  to  head 
quarters.     General  Johnston's  brigade  arrived  there 
on   the  14th  of  February :  but  the   East   Tennessee 
troops,  under  Brigadier-General  Doherty,  manifested 
great  indisposition  to  proceed.     General  Cocke,  whose 
conduct  had  previously  caused  much  embarrassment  to 
General  Jackson,  entered  the  camp  of  General  Do 
herty,  and  actually  persuaded  many  of  the  troops  not 
to  proceed.     One  hundred  and  eighty  men,  influenced 
by  him,  deserted,  and  returned  home.     These  circum 
stances  being  communicated  to  Jackson,  he  ordered 
General  Doherty  to  put  under  arrest  any  officer  who 
should  attempt  to  produce  mutiny  among  the  troops, 
and  send  him  to  head  quarters.     The   brigade  was 
then  marched  to  Fort  Strother. 

Although  there  was  now  no  cause  for  insubordina 
tion,  provisions  being  plentiful  and  the  soldiers  actively 
employed,  yet  the  spirit  of  mutiny,  which  had  been  but 
lightly  checked,  again  broke  out.  Jackson  now  saw 
that  the  sternest  measures  of  military  discipline  had 
become  indispensable.  John  Woods,  once  a  deserter, 


EXECUTION     OF    WOODS. 


229 


The  last  Mutiny. 


now  in  open  mutiny,  was  seized,  tried  by  a  court-mar 
tial,  and  condemned  to  be  shot.  Painful  as  it  was  to 
the  feelings  of  the  general,  he  viewed  it  as  a  sacrifice 
essential  to  the  preservation  of  good  order,  and  left 
the  sentence  of  the  court  to  be  inflicted.  The  execu 
tion  was  productive  of  the  happiest  effects;  order 
was  instantly  produced,  and  that  opinion,  so  long  in 
dulged,  that  a  militia-man  could  not  be  put  to  death 
for  any  offence,  was  from  that  moment  abandoned, 
and  a  strict  obedience  afterwards  characterized  the 
whole  army. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  month  of  March,  1814, 
General  Jackson  received  information  that  a  large 
body  of  Indians  had  assembled  at  the  Indian  encamp 
ment  on  the  Tallapoosa  called  Tohopeka,  which  Ge 
neral  Coffee  had  before  pronounced  too  strong  to  be 
attacked  to  advantage  without  artillery. 


230  TOHOPEKA. 

On  the  14th  General  Jackson  marched  from  Fort 
Strother,  and  bent  his  course  towards  Tohopeka.  On 
the  21st  he  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  Cedar  Creek,  and 
there  established  a  fort,  which  he  named  Fort  Wil 
liams.  On  the  24th,  leaving  a  sufficient  force  under 
Brigadier-General  Johnston,  for  the  protection  of  the 
fort,  with  eight  days'  provisions,  he  set.  out  for  the  Tal- 
lapoosa,  by  the  way  of  Emuckfaw.  The  whole  force 
now  with  him  amounted  to  less  than  three  thousand 
effective  men ;  being  considerably  reduced  by  the  ne 
cessity  of  leaving  behind  him  strong  garrisons  at  the 
different  forts.  About  ten  o'clock,  on  the  morning  of 
the  27th,  after  a  march  of  fifty-two  miles,  he  reached 
the  village  of  Tohopeka.  The  enemy,  being  aware  of 
his  approach,  had  collected  in  considerable  numbers, 
with  the  view  of  giving  him  battle.  The  warriors 
from  the  adjacent  towns,  Oakfuskie,  Oakehoga,  New 
Youcka,  the  Hillabees,  the  Fish-Pond,  and  Eulalee, 
amounting  to  a  thousand  or  twelve  hundred,  were 

O  ' 

ready  and  waiting  his  approach.  It  is  difficult  to 
conceive  of  a  situation  more  eligible  for  defence  than 
the  one  they  had  chosen.  Surrounded  almost  entirely 
by  the  river,  which  here  takes  the  shape  of  a  horse 
shoe,  from  which  it  derived  the  name  of  the  Horse- 
Shoe  Bend,  it  was  accessible  only  by  a  narrow  neck 
of  land,  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  yards  width,  which 
they  had  taken  much  pains  to  secure  and  defend,  by 
erecting  a  breast-work,  from  five  to  eight  feet  high, 
formed  of  large  timbers  and  trunks  of  trees  laid  hori 
zontally  upon  each  other,  leaving  but  a  single  place  of 
entrance.  It  extended  across  the  point  in  such  a  di 
rection,  that  an  enemy  approaching  it  would  be  ex- 


BATTLE    OF    TOPOHEKA. 


231 


Planting  the  Cannon. 


posed  to  a  double  fire,  from  its  double  row  of  loop 
holes,  whilst  those  behind  it  remained  in  perfect  se 
curity. 

Having  ascertained  the  position  of  the  enemy, 
Jackson  despatched  General  Coffee,  at  the  head  of  the 
mounted  infantry  and  friendly  Indians,  with  orders  to 
gain  the  southern  bank  of  the  river,  encircle  the  bend, 
and  make  some  feint  or  manoeuvre  by  which  to  divert 
the  enemy  from  the  point  where  the  real  attack  was 
intended  to  be  made.  He  was  particularly  instructed 
so  to  arrange  and  dispose  the  force  under  his  com 
mand  that  they  might  not  escape  by  passing  to  the 
opposite  side  in  their  canoes,  with  which  it  was  said 
the  whole  shore  was  lined. 

Jackson,  with  the  rest  of  the  army,  proceeded  slow 
ly  and  in  order  along  the  neck  of  land  which  led  to 
18* 


232  TOHOPEKA. 

the  front  of  their  breastwork.  Having  planted  his 
cannon,  one  six  and  one  three-pounder,  about  two 
hundred  yards  from  the  front  of  the  enemy's  line,  with 
a  view  to  break  down  his  defence,  a  brisk  fire  was 
commenced.  The  musketry  and  rifles,  which  occupied 
a  nearer  position,  were  used  as  the  Indians  occasion 
ally  showed  themselves  from  behind  their  works.  The 
artillery  was  well  served  by  Major  Bradford,  and  the 
fire  kept  up  for  two  hours,  without  making  any  impres 
sion  ;  time,  however,  was  gained  for  complete  readiness. 

In  the  meantime,  General  Coffee  having  reached 
his  point  of  destination  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  formed  his  line,  and  despatched  a  part  of  the 
Indian  force,  with  two  companies  of  spies  commanded 
by  Captain  Russell  and  Lieutenant  Bean,  across  the 
river  to  the  extremity  of  the  bend.  These  companies 
set  fire  to  a  few  buildings  situated  there,  and  then  ad 
vanced  with  great  gallantry  towards  the  camp  and 
breastwork,  and  commenced  a  spirited  fire  upon  the 
enemy  in  their  front. 

This  fire  announcing  the  fact  that  General  Coffee 
had  arrived  at  his  post,  and  secured  the  opposite  bank 
of  the  river,  the  order  was  given  by  Jackson  to  storm 
the  breastwork.  Never  were  troops  more  eager  to  be 
led  on,  than  were  both  regulars  and  militia.  They 
had  been  waiting  with  impatience  for  the  order,  and 
hailed  it  with  acclamations.  The  spirit  which  ani 
mated  them  was  a  sure  augury  of  the  success  which 
was  to  follow.  Between  them  there  was  no  differ 
ence.  Both  advanced  with  the  firmness  and  intre 
pidity  of  veteran  soldiers.  The  former,  the  thirty- 
ninth  regiment,  led  on  by  their  skilful  commander, 


DEATH    OF    MAJOR   MONTGOMERY.  233 


;.:^-,—    -=  -  .:•      :•-:.-•.--    -~-,: 


Battle  of  Tohopeka— Death  of  Major  Montgomery. 


Colonel  Williams,  and  the  brave  but  ill-fated  Major 
Montgomery,  and  the  militia,  under  the  command  of 
Colonel  Burch,  moved  forward  with  alacrity,  in  the 
midst  of  a  most  tremendous  fire,  which  poured  upon 
them  in  one  continuous  stream.  They  soon  reached 
the  ramparts,  where  an  obstinate  and  destructive  con 
flict  ensued,  each  contending  for  the  loop-holes,  on 
different  sides.  Many  of  the  enemy's  balls  were  found 
30 


234  TOHOPEKA. 

welded  between  the  muskets  and  bayonets  of  the 
soldiers.  At  this  moment,  Major  Montgomery,  leap 
ing  on  the  wall,  called  to  his  men  to  mount  and  follow 
him.  He  had  scarcely  spoken,  when,  shot  through  the 
head,  he  fell  to  the  ground.  But  his  followers  had 
scaled  the  ramparts ;  and  the  savages,  finding  their  po 
sition  no  longer  tenable,  retired,  and  concealed  them 
selves  amidst  the  brush  and  timber,  which  lay  thickly 
scattered  over  the  peninsula,  whence  they  continued  re 
sistance,  and  kept  up  a  galling  and  constant  fire,  until 
they  were  again  charged  and  forced  back.  Driven 
to  despair,  not  knowing  whither  to  flee,  and  resolving 
not  to  surrender,  they  saw  no  other  alternative  than  to 
effect  their  escape  by  passing  in  their  canoes  to  the  op 
posite  bank  of  the  river ;  from  this,  however,  they  were 
prevented,  by  perceiving  General  Coffee's  detachment 
in  possession  of  the  bank.  Under  these  circumstances, 
the  remaining  warriors,  who  yet  survived  the  severity 
of  the  conflict,  betaking  themselves  to  flight,  leaped 
down  the  banks,  and  concealed  themselves  along  the 
cliffs  and  steeps,  which  were  covered  by  the  trees 
which  had  been  felled  from  their  margin.  From  these 
secreted  spots,  when  an  opportunity  offered,  they 
would  fire  and  disappear. 

General  Jackson,  perceiving  that  any  further  resist 
ance  would  only  involve  them  in  utter  destruction, 
sent  a  flag,  accompanied  by  an  interpreter,  to  propose 
to  them  a  surrender  and  save  the  further  effusion  of 
blood.  Whether  the  proposal  was  fully  explained, 
none  but  the  interpreter  can  know;  but  instead  of 
being  accepted,  as  was  fully  expected,  and  in  every  in 
stance  of  civilized  warfare  would  have  been  the  case, 


BATTLE    OF    TOHOPEKA.  235 

it  was  answered  by  a  discharge,  which  wounded  one 
of  the  messengers.  Finding  they  would  not  yieki, 
nor  abandon  the  course  of  desperation  which  they  had 
resolved  on,  orders  were  given  to  dislodge  them.  To 
accomplish  this  the  artillery  was  turned  against  them, 
but  with  no  effect.  Lighted  torches  were  then  thrown 
down  the  steeps,  which,  communicating  with  the  brush 
and  trees,  and  setting  them  on  fire,  drove  the  Indians 
from  their  hiding-places,  and  brought  them  to  view. 
Thus  the  carnage  continued  until  night  separated  the 
combatants ;  when  the  few  misguided  savages  who 
had  avoided  the  havoc  and  slaughter  of  the  day  were 
enabled  through  the  darkness  of  the  night  to  make 
their  escape. 

While  the  main  attack  was  thus  made,  the  spies 
and  friendly  Indians  sent  over  by  General  Coffee  were 
effecting  much ;  and  no  doubt  to  the  course  pursued 
by  them,  was  greatly  owing  the  facility  with  which 
the  breastwork  was  scaled  and  its  possession  obtained. 
The  flames  of  their  town  necessarily  divided  the  atten 
tion  and  opposition  of  the  savages,  and  drew  some  of 
them  to  the  protection  of  a  point  which  they  had 
hitherto  believed  secure,  and  where  they  had  not  ap 
prehended  an  attack.  Thus  assailed  from  an  unex 
pected  quarter, — a  force  in  their  rear,  and  another  still 
stronger  advancing  in  their  front,  afforded  the  invading 
army  a  much  easier  and  less  hazardous  opportunity 
of  succeeding  in  the  assault  and  securing  the  victory. 

This  battle  gave  a  death-blow  to  all  the  hopes  of 
the  Creeks ;  nor  did  they  afterwards  attempt  to  make 
a  stand.  They  had  now  tried  every  mode  of  warfare 
known  to  them  without  success.  From  their  fastnesses 


236  TOHOPEKA. 

in  the  woods  they  had  tried  their  system  of  ambus 
cades;  they  had  brought  on  the  attack;  they  had  made 
use  of  darkness  and  the  cover  of  night ;  they  had 
made  the  open  attack  in  broad  day ;  and  now  they 
had  tried  the  strength  of  an  entrenched  and  fortified 
camp ;  and  in  all  they  had  met  but  failure  and  disaster. 
They  had,  no  doubt,  strongly  fortified  Tohopeka,  in 
consequence  of  their  continual  defeats,  and  had  retired 
to  it  as  a  last  resort,  determined  to  conquer  or  perish. 
That  such  a  resolution  had  been  taken,  is  presumed 
from  their  desperate  obstinacy — in  their  refusal  of  all 
offers  of  quarter ;  and  is  rendered  certain  from  the 
circumstance  that  they  permitted  their  women  and 
children  to  remain  in  the  encampment,  whom,  in  other 
cases,  they  were  always  careful  to  remove  far  from 
danger. 

In  this  action  the  best  and  bravest  of  their  warriors 
were  destroyed,  and  a  greater  loss  sustained  than 
had  been  met  with  in  any  of  their  previous  contests. 
Few  escaped  the  carnage.  Of  the  killed,  many  were 
thrown  into  the  river  while  the  battle  raged ;  many, 
in  endeavouring  to  pass  it,  were  destroyed  by  the 
steady  fire  of  Coffee's  brigade;  and  five  hundred  and 
fifty-seven  were  left  dead  on  the  ground. 

Among  the  number  of  the  slain  were  three  of  their 
prophets.  Decorated  in  a  wild  and  fantastic  manner, 
— with  the  plumage  of  many  birds  about  their  heads 
and  shoulders,  with  savage  grimaces  and  horrid  con 
tortions  of  their  body,  these  impostors  danced  and 
howled  their  horrid  incantations  to  their  gods.  Their 
infatuated  followers  already  believed  a  communion 
with  heaven  sure,  which,  moved  by  entreaties,  and 


THE    WOUNDED    WARRIOR.  237 


Indian  Prophet. 

offered  homage,  would  aid  them  in  the  conflict,  and 
give  a  triumph  to  their  arms.  Fear  was  entirely 
banished  from  their  minds ;  and  when  they  beheld  the 
army  approaching,  and  already  scaling  their  breast 
work,  even  then,  far  from  being  dispirited,  hope  sur 
vived,  and  victory  was  still  anticipated. 

Four  men,  who  surrendered,  and  three  hundred 
women  and  children  were  taken  prisoners.  One  of 
these  men,  "  a  young  Creek  warrior,  severely  wounded, 
was  brought  before  General  Jackson,  and  a  surgeon 
was  called  to  dress  his  wounds.  With  his  rude  no 
tions  of  war  he  regarded  his  death  as  inevitable,  and 
looking  earnestly  at  the  general,  as  his  limb  was  bound 
up,  he  exclaimed,  *  Cure  him,  kill  him  again  ?'  Jackson 


238 


TOHOPEKA 


The  young  Creek  Warrior. 


assured  him  that  he  was  safe ;  and  moved  by  his  youth, 
as  he  had  previously  been  affected  by  the  helpless  in 
fant  at  Tallushatchee,  he  sent  him  home  to  Nashville, 
watched  over  his  interests,  and  established  him  in  a 
respectable  trade. 

"  How  freshly  and  sweetly,  like  blossoms  on  the 
battle-field,  do  such  noble  and  generous  acts  spring  up 
amid  the  waste  of  war!  and  how  much  of  beauty 
and  of  tenderness  do  they  add  to  the  heroic  strength 
of  a  great  commander !  They  are  like  a  garland  of 
roses  around  the  iron  helmet  of  the  warrior.  A 
hundred  generations  have  wept  over  the  verses  of 
Homer  which  describe  the  parting  of  the  Trojan  chief 
from  his  infant  boy  as  he  goes  out  to  battle.  American 
hearts  shall  throb  with  tearful  pleasure,  through  all 
time,  as  they  think  of  the  tenderness  of  Jackson 


LOSS    OF    THE    AMERICANS.  239 

towards  the  infant  Lincoyer,  and  the  youthful  captive 
of  Tohopeka."* 

That  so  few  warriors  should  have  sought  and  ob 
tained  safety,  by  appealing  to  the  clemency  of  the 
victors,  will  not  appear  a  matter  of  surprise  to  persons 
acquainted  with  the  mode  of  Indian  warfare.  It 
seldom  happens  that  they  extend  or  solicit  quarter: 
faithless  themselves,  they  place  no  reliance  on  the 
faith  of  others ;  and  when  overcome  in  battle,  seek  no 
other  protection  than  dexterity  and  speed  afford. 
Another  cause  for  it  may  be  found  in  a  reason  already 
given,  in  the  attack  made  by  a  detachment  of  General 
Cocke's  division  on  the  Hillabee  tribes,  who  were  as 
sailed  and  put  to  the  sword  at  a  moment  when,  having 
asked  for  peace,  they  were  expecting  it  to  be  given. 
This  misfortune  had  destroyed  all  confidence  on  the 
part  of  the  savages,  in  the  integrity  and  humanity  of 
the  Americans ;  and  they  now  looked  and  trusted  for 
safety  to  nothing  but  their  own  valour.  In  this  contest 
they  maintained  resistance,  fighting  and  firing  from 
their  hiding-places,  long  after  the  hope,  either  of  suc 
cess  or  escape,  was  or  should  have  been  at  an  end, 
and  after  the  proposal  had  been  submitted  to  spare 
the  further  useless  waste  of  blood.  A  few  who  had 
lain  quiet  and  concealed  under  the  cliffs,  survived  the 
severity  of  the  conflict,  and  effected  their  retreat  under 
cover  of  the  night. 

Jackson's  loss,  though  considerable,  was  small 
when  compared  with  that  of  the  enemy.  The  whole 
estimate,  including  in  it  the  Cherokees  and  friendly 
Creeks,  was  but  fifty-four  killed,  and  one  hundred 

*Bolles's  Eulogy. 
19 


240  TOHOPEKA. 

and  fifty-six  wounded.  Of  the  former  was  Major 
Montgomery,  a  brave  and  enterprising  young  officer 
of  the  thirty-ninth  regiment,  and  Lieutenants  Moulton 
and  Somerville,  who  fell  early  in  the  charge. 

The  object  of  the  expedition  being  thus  accom 
plished,  General  Jackson,  in  pursuance  of  his  first 
plan,  decided  to  return  to  Fort  Williams  for  pro 
visions,  and  then  hastened  to  the  Hickory  Ground, 
where  he  hoped  to  be  able  to  put  an  end  to  the  war. 
After  committing  the  bodies  of  the  slain  to  a  watery 
grave  in  the  river  Tallapoosa,  that  they  might  not  be 
scalped  by  the  Indians,  General  Jackson  set  out  on 
his  return  to  Fort  Williams. 

Having  arrived  at  that  post  on  the  1st  of  April, 
his  first  object  was  to  excite  in  the  breasts  of  his 
soldiers  a  sense  of  pride,  commensurate  with  the 
achievements  they  had  performed  and  the  valour  they 
had  displayed.  He  was  impelled  to  it  by  the  con 
sciousness  that  excitement,  once  subsided,  could  with 
difficulty  be  again  roused ;  and  from  a  strong  desire 
to  ward  off  from  his  ranks  that  despondency  which 
had  once  proved  so  fatal  to  his  hopes.  Besides,  he 
wished  to  point  out  to  his  followers  the  good  effects 
which  would  result  from  their  splendid  victories,  to 
thank  them  for  their  implicit  obedience  and  unsur 
passed  gallantry,  and  to  congratulate  them  on  the 
approach  of  the  period  when  the  frontiers  should  be 
no  longer  alarmed  by  the  yell  of  the  murderous  Creek. 
With  a  view  to  these  objects,  the  next  day,  on  parade, 
bgfore  the  fort,  he  addressed  them  as  follows : 

"  Soldiers  of  Tennessee : — You  have  entitled  your 
selves  to  the  gratitude  of  your  country  and  your  gene- 


ADDRESS    TO    THE    TROOPS.  241 

ral.  The  expedition  from  which  you  have  just  re 
turned  has,  by  your  good  conduct,  been  rendered 
prosperous  beyond  any  example  in  the  history  of  our 
warfare :  it  has  redeemed  the  character  of  our  state, 
and  of  that  description  of  troops  of  which  the  greater 
part  of  you  are. 

"  You  have,  within  a  few  days,  opened  our  way  to 
Tallapoosa,  and  destroyed  a  confederacy  of  the  enemy, 
ferocious  by  nature,  and  grown  insolent  from  impunity. 
Relying  on  their  numbers,  the  security  of  their  situa 
tion,  arid  the  assurances  of  their  prophets,  they  derided 
our  approach,  and  already  exulted  in  anticipation  of 
the  victory  they  expected  to  obtain.  But  they  were 
ignorant  of  the  influence  of  government  on  the  human 
powers,  nor  knew  what  brave  men  and  civilized  force 
could  effect.  By  their  yells  they  hoped  to  frighten  us, 
and  with  their  wooden  fortifications  to  oppose  us. 
Stupid  mortals !  their  yells  but  designated  their  situa 
tion  the  more  certainly ;  whilst  their  walls  became  a 
snare  for  their  own  destruction.  So  will  it  ever  be, 
when  presumption  and  ignorance  contend  against 
bravery  and  prudence. 

"The  fiends  of  the  Tallapoosa  will  no  longer  mur 
der  our  women  and  children,  or  disturb  the  quiet  of  our 
borders.  Their  midnight  flambeaux  will  no  more  illu- 

o 

mine  their  council-house,  or  shine  upon  the  victim  of 
their  infernal  orgies.  In  their  places  a  new  generation 
will  arise,  who  will  know  their  duty  better.  The 
weapons  of  warfare  will  be  exchanged  for  the  utensils 
of  husbandry ;  and  the  wilderness,  which  now  withers 
in  sterility,  and  mourns  the  desolation  which  over 
spreads  her,  will  blossom  as  the  rose,  and  become  the 
31 


242  TOHOPEKA. 

nursery  of  the  arts.  But  before  this  happy  day  can 
arrive,  other  chastisements  remain  to  be  inflicted.  It 
is  indeed  lamentable  that  the  path  to  peace  should 
lead  through  blood,  and  over  the  bodies  of  the  slain ; 
but  it  is  a  dispensation  of  Providence  to  inflict  partial 
evils  that  good  may  be  produced. 

"  Our  enemies  are  not  sufficiently  humbled, — they 
do  not  sue  for  peace.  A  collection  of  them  await  our 
approach,  and  remain  to  be  dispersed.  Buried  in  ig 
norance,  and  seduced  by  their  prophets,  they  have  the 
weakness  to  believe  they  will  still  be  able  to  make  a 
stand  against  us.  They  must  be  undeceived,  and 
made  to  atone  their  obstinacy  and  their  crime  by  still 
further  suffering.  The  hopes  which  have  so  long  de 
luded  them,  must  be  driven  from  their  last  refuge. 
They  must  be  made  to  know  that  their  prophets  are 
impostors,  and  that  our  strength  is  mighty,  and  will 
prevail.  Then,  and  not  till  then,  may  we  expect  to 
make  with  them  a  peace  that  shall  be  lasting." 


CHAPTER   XII. 
CONCLUSION    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 

HILE  General  Jackson  was  thus 
increasing  the  strength  of  his  coun 
try,  his  own  was  fast  failing.     In 
cessant  fatigue  arid   arduous  duty 
had  retarded  the  recovery  of  his 
health  and  reduced  him  almost  to 
a  skeleton ;  but  the  success  which 
attended  his  operations  made  him  forget,  or,  at  least, 
disregard  his  debility.     Understanding  that  the  enemy 
was  embodied  in  considerable  numbers  at  Hoithlewa- 
19* 


244          CONCLUSION    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 

lee,  an  Indian  town  situated  not  far  from  the  Hickory 
Ground,  he  was  anxious  to  recommence  his  operations. 
The  forces  under  his  command  had  been  too  much  re 
duced  in  strength  by  sickness,  some  discharges  which 
he  had  granted,  and  the  loss  sustained  in  the  late  bat 
tle,  to  permit  him  to  act  as  efficiently  as  he  wished.  It 
was  desirable,  therefore,  to  effect  a  junction  with  the 
southern  army  as  soon  as  possible.  The  North  Caro 
lina  troops,  under  the  command  of  General  Graham,  and 
those  of  Georgia,  under  Colonel  Milton,  were  said  to 
be  somewhere  south  of  the  Tallapoosa,  and  could  be 
at  no  great  distance.  General  Pinckney,  who  com 
manded  the  whole,  recommended  to  Jackson  to  effect 
this  union  as  soon  as  possible.  It  therefore  became 
necessary  to  apprise  those  officers  of  his  intended 
movements,  that  they  might  be  enabled  to  co-operate 
with  him.  Having,  not  without  difficulty,  engaged 
suitable  messengers,  Jackson  sent  to  Colonel  Milton, 
informing  him  that  on  the  7th  he  would  take  up  the 
line  of  march  for  Hoithlewalee.  This  place  he  ex 
pected  to  reach  by  the  llth,  and  he  desired  the  colonel 
to  act  in  concert  with  him  against  it.  Pursuant  to  his 
promise,  he  left  Fort  Williams  on  the  7th,  with  all  his 
disposable  force,  and  proceeded  on  his  march ;  but 
the  height  of  the  water  in  the  streams  delayed  his  ar 
rival  at  Hoithlewalee  till  the  13th.  The  quantity  of 
water  in  the  creek  before  the  town  prevented  him  from 
crossing  until  the  next  day,  by  which  time  the  enemy 
had  escaped.  They  were  pursued  some  distance,  and 
about  twenty-five  taken  prisoners.  Had  Colonel  Mil 
ton  co-operated,  as  he  might  have  done,  and  sur 
rounded  the  enemy's  rear,  they  could  not  have  es- 


PURSUIT    OF    THE    INDIANS. 


245 


Pursuit  of  the  Indians. 


caped.  On  the  14th,  he  sent  a  note  to  Jackson  that 
he  was  within  four  miles  of  the  town,  which  he  intend 
ed  to  attack  that  day.  He  had  been  saved  the  trouble, 
however,  by  the  general,  who  had  destroyed  the  town. 
The  provisions  brought  by  the  army  from  Fort 
Williams  being  nearly  exhausted,  Jackson  requested 
Colonel  Milton,  who  had  an  abundant  supply,  to  make 
up  the  deficiency.  The  colonel  delayed  his  compli 
ance,  when  the  request  was  changed  to  an  order,  and 
he  was  also  directed  to  join  the  main  army. 


246         CONCLUSION    OF    THE   CREEK    WAR. 

The  spirits  of  the  Indians  seemed  to  be  now  com 
pletely  broken ;  and  their  chiefs  came  into  the  camp 
daily,  proffering  the  calumet  or  pipe  of  peace,  and 
begging  that  the  warfare  against  them  might  be  dis 
continued.  They  were  ordered  to  settle  in  the  rear 
of  the  army,  and  north  of  Fort  Williams,  where  they 
would  not  be  molested ;  and  General  Jackson  resolved 
to  proceed  to  the  Hickory  Ground,  where  the  hostile 
tribes  were  expected  to  make  their  last  and  most 
desperate  stand.  This  was  the  name  given  to  the 
country  at  the  junction  of  the  Coosa  and  Tallapoosa 
rivers,  which  their  traditions  declared  had  never  been 
desecrated  by  the  foot  of  a  white  man,  and  which  was 
considered  holy  ground. 

Proceeding  on  his  march,  Jackson  arrived  at  the 
site  of  the  old  Toulossee  fort,  situated  on  the  Coosa, 
not  far  from  the  confluence,  at  which  he  erected 
another,  which  was  called  after  himself.  Here  the 
rivers  approach  within  six  hundred  yards  of  each 
other,  and  again  diverging,  unite  sixty  miles  below. 
At  this  place,  the  chiefs  of  the  different  tribes  were 
daily  arriving,  and  offering  to  submit  on  any  terms. 
They  all  concurred  in  their  statements,  that  those  of 
the  hostile  party  who  were  still  opposed  to  asking  for 
peace  had  fled  from  the  nation,  and  sought  refuge  along 
the  coasts  and  in  Pensacola.  General  Jackson  renewed 
the  assurances  he  had  previously  given,  that  they 
could  find  safety  in  no  other  way  than  by  repairing 
to  the  section  of  country  already  pointed  out  to  them, 
where  they  might  remain  quiet  and  undisturbed. 

To  put  their  friendly  professions  at  once  to  the 
test,  he  directed  them  to  bring  Weatherford  to  hi? 


SURRENDER  OF  WEATHERFORD.      247 


Weatherford. 


camp  tied,  that  he  might  be  dealt  with  as  he  deserved. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  chiefs  of  the  nation,  and  had 
been  the  principal  actor  in  the  butchery  at  Fort  Mimms. 
Learning  from  the  chiefs  on  their  return,  what  had 
been  required  of  them  by  Jackson,  he  was  prevailed 
upon,  as  being  perhaps  the  safer  course,  to  go  and 
make  a  voluntary  surrender  of  himself.  Having 
reached  the  camp  without  being  known,  and  obtained 
admission  to  the  general's  quarters,  he  told  him  he 
was  Weatherford,  the  chief  who  had  commanded  at 
Fort  Mimms,  and  desiring  peace  for  himself  and  his 
people,  had  come  to  ask  it.  Somewhat  surprised 
that  one  who  so  richly  merited  punishment  should  so 
sternly  demand  the  protection  which  had  been  ex 
tended  to  others,  he  replied  to  him  that  he  was  aston- 


248 


CONCLUSION     3F    THE    CHEEK    WAR. 


Weathert'ord  surrenders  himself. 


ished  he  should  venture  to  appear  in  his  presence ; 
that  he  was  not  ignorant  of  his  having  been  at  Fort 

O  O 

Mimms,  nor  of  his  conduct  there,  for  which  he  well 
deserved  to  die.  "I  had  directed,"  continued  he, 
"  that  you  should  be  brought  to  me  confined ;  had 
you  appeared  in  this  way,  I  should  have  known  how 
to  have  treated  you."  Weatherford  replied,  "  I  am 
in  your  power — do  with  me  as  you  please.  I  am  a 
soldier.  I  have  done  the  white  people  all  the  harm  I 
could ;  I  have  fought  them,  and  fought  them  bravely ; 
if  I  had  an  army,  I  would  yet  fight  and  contend  to  the 


WEATHERFORD  SUES  FOR  PEACE.     249 

last:  but  I  have  none;  my  people  are  all  gone.  1 
can  now  do  no  more  than  weep  over  the  misfortunes 
of  my  nation."  Pleased  at  the  firmness  of  the  man, 
Jackson  informed  him  that  he  did  but  solicit  him  to 
lay  down  his  arms  and  become  peaceable :  "  The 
terms  on  which  your  nation  can  be  saved  and  peace 
restored,  have  already  been  disclosed:  in  this  way,  and 
in  none  other,  can  you  obtain  safety."  If,  however, 
he  wished  still  to  continue  the  war,  and  felt  himself 
prepared  to  meet  the  consequences,  although  he  was 
then  completely  in  his  power,  no  advantage  should  be 
taken  of  that  circumstance;  that  he  was  at  perfect 
liberty  to  retire  and  unite  himself  with  the  war  party, 
if  he  pleased ;  but  if  taken,  his  life  should  pay  the  for 
feit  of  his  crimes ;  if  this  were  not  desired,  he  might 
remain  where  he  was,  and  should  be  protected. 

Weatherford  answered  that  he  desired  peace,  that 
his  nation  might  in  some  measure  be  relieved  from 
their  sufferings ;  that  independent  of  other  misfortunes, 
growing  out  of  a  state  of  war,  their  cattle  and  grain 
were  all  wasted  and  destroyed,  and  their  women  and 
children  destitute  of  provisions.  "  But,"  continued 
he,  "  I  may  be  well  addressed  in  such  language  now. 
There  was  a  time  when  I  had  a  choice,  and  could 
have  answered  you ;  I  have  none  now, — even  hope 
has  ended.  Once  I  could  animate  my  warriors  to 
battle ;  but  I  cannot  animate  the  dead.  My  warriors 
can  no  longer  hear  my  voice:  their  bones  are  at 
Talladega,  Tallushatchee,  Emuckfaw,  and  Tohopeka. 
I  have  not  surrendered  myself  thoughtlessly.  Whilst 
there  were  chances  of  success  I  never  left  my  post 
nor  supplicated  peace.  But  my  people  are  gone,  and 
32 


250          CONCLUSION    OF    THE    CREEK   WAR. 

I  now  ask  it  for  my  nation  and  for  myself.  On  the 
miseries  and  misfortunes  brought  upon  my  country, 
I  look  back  with  the  deepest  regret,  and  wish  to  avert 
still  greater  calamities.  If  I  had  been  left  to  contend 
with  the  Georgia  army,  I  would  have  raised  my  corn 
on  one  bank  of  the  river,  and  fought  them  on  the 
other;  but  your  people  have  destroyed  my  nation. 
You  are  a  brave  man :  I  rely  upon  your  generosity. 
You  will  exact  no  terms  of  a  conquered  people  but 
such  as  they  should  accede  to:  whatever  they  may 
be,  it  would  now  be  madness  and  folly  to  oppose.  If 
they  are  opposed,  you  shall  find  me  amongst  the 
sternest  enforcers  of  obedience.  Those  who  would 
still  hold  out,  can  be  influenced  only  by  a  mean  spirit 
of  revenge ;  and  to  this  they  must  not  and  shall  not 
sacrifice  the  last  remnant  of  their  country.  You  have 
told  us  where  we  might  go  and  be  safe.  This  is  a 
good  talk,  and  my  nation  ought  to  listen  to  it.  They 
shall  listen  to  it." 

Satisfied  of  his  sincerity,  the  general  authorized 
him  to  return  to  the  forests,  with  a  small  number  of 
followers,  and  conduct  the  remnant  of  his  nation  to 
the  country  which  had  been  assigned  them,  above 
Fort  Williams.  Numerous  detachments  were  sent  out 
to  scour  the  Indian  country,  and  disperse  any  collec 
tions  of  warriors  they  might  find ;  but  they  met  with 
no  opposition ;  the  Indians  everywhere  manifesting  a 
desire  for  the  return  of  peace. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  General  Pinckney  arrived  at 
Fort  Jackson,  and  took  the  command.  The  measures 
adopted  by  Jackson  met  his  full  approval.  The  pos 
session  of  the  ground  which  had  been  gained,  and  the 


VOLUNTEERS    DISCHARGED.  251 

protection  of  the  frontiers  against  any  future  attack 
which  might  be  made,  being  secured  by  the  line  of 
forts  which  had  been  established  connecting  the  Ala 
bama  with  the  settlements  of  Tennessee  and  Georgia, 
there  remained  no  necessity  for  keeping  an  army  in 
the  field.  The  time  of  the  West  Tennessee  troops 
being  about  to  expire,  Jackson  was  ordered  to  march 
them  back  to  the  state,  and  discharge  them.  The 
division  of  General  Doherty  was  retained  to  garrison 
the  several  posts.  Four  hundred  men  were  stationed 
at  Fort  Williams,  two  hundred  and  fifty  at  Fort 
Strother,  and  seventy-five  at  Fort  Armstrong  and 
New  Deposit.  Captain  Hammond's  company  of  ran 
gers  was  ordered  to  garrison  Old  Deposit. 

General  Jackson  received  the  order  to  march  on 
the  21st  of  April,  and  in  two  hours  was  on  his  way. 
On  the  evening  of  the  24th,  he  arrived  at  Fort 
Williams.  From  this  place  he  detached  Brigadier- 
General  Johnston,  at  the  head  of  five  hundred  men, 
with  orders  to  proceed  to  the  head  of  the  Cahawba 
river,  to  destroy  any  bodies  of  the  enemy  who  might 
be  collected  there,  and  rejoin  the  main  body  at  Deposit. 
The  detachment  proceeded  as  ordered,  but  found  no 
enemy,  and  returned,  after  burning  several  Indian 
towns.  Jackson  continued  his  march  to  Camp  Blount, 
near  Fayetteville,  where  the  troops  were  honourably 
discharged.  The  parting  of  these  brave  men  from 
their  commander  was  very  affecting.  Endeared  to 
each  other  by  the  remembrance  of  the  privations  they 
had  borne,  of  the  difficulties  they  had  overcome,  and 
of  the  bloody  fields  on  which,  side  by  side,  they  had 
contended,  the  dissolution  of  the  relation  they  had 
20 


252         CONCLUSION    OF    THK    CRKKK    WAR. 

sustained  to  each  other  called  forth  the  warmest  errio- 
tionH.  The;  general  wlelre;sse;el  his  fd low-Hold H-TH  in 
t(;rrriH  of  the  strongest  attachment,  recounting  their 
deeds  of  fame,,  their  patience  in  hardship,  and  their 
valour  in  the  field,  and  assuring  them  that  the  recol 
lection  of  their  Hcrviccs  would  never  IM;  effaced  from 
the  grateful  hearts  of  their  countrymen. 

Warmly  as  Jackson  was  attached  to  his  soldiers, 
still  more  ardently  did  they  love  and  admire  his  nohle 
qualities*  His  conduct  during  the  whole;  war  hud  en 
titled  him  to  the,  name  of  a  great  general*  When 
supplies  fnilcd,  and  starvation  seemed  to  b<:  at  the 
door,  he  shared  the  same  fare  as  the*  meanest  of  his 
followers,  setting  them  a  nohle  example  of  manly  en 
durance.  When  the  mutinous  conduct  of  his  troops 
aroused  the  fiery  spirit  which  slept  within  him,  he 
needed  not  his  own  danger,  hut  freely  exposed  his  life 
to  the  fury  of  his  troops,  that  he  might  save;  them  from 
disgrace;,  and  his  country  from  ruin.  Then  it  was 
that  "  he;  shone  he  fore  his  mutinous  followers  as  Home- 
thing  god-like;;  they  howed  in  awe  hefore  him,  and 
ohcycd  his  commands  as  a  superior  licing."* 

In  the  moment  of  actie>n  lie;  was  characterized  l>y 
a  jwrfcct  contempt  of  dmigcr,  a  constant  presence  of 
mind,  and  a  confidence  of  success  which  nothing  coulel 
shake;.  Mis  engle  eye}  saw  at  once  what  was  neces 
sary  to  he;  done,  and  his  active  mind  was  never  at  a 
le>HH  for  the  plan  for  attaining  his  ohjectH.  To  his 
firmness  in  the;  midst  of  danger,  mid  his  never-failing 
Confidence,  were;  owing,  in  a  great  rnejasure;,  the  suc- 

*  (jftrlrtnd'H  Ku!oj/y. 


TKICATY     WITH     T II  K    CKMKKH.  XJ5IJ 

cess  of  the  campaign*     These  limits  were   known  to 
In '  soldiers,  who  regarded  him  with  n.    <  niim.  ni  .-ip 
proaching  to  adoration^    They  were  always   ready, 
niter  thin  him-,  to  follow  him  to,  the  li«-ld,  h  <  Im--  that, 
in  their  general  they  had  an  assurance  of  success, 
(jtcncral  Jackson,  having  brought  the  Creek  war  to 

a.   BUCCOHHful    termination,  wished    to    retire  to  private; 

life,  to  recovering  health,  and  ohtain  tin;  relaxation  of 
mind  and  hody  which  his  arduous  labours  had  rendered 
necessary.  His  country,  however,  could  not  allord  to 
lose;  the  services  of  a  genius  so  brilliant,  a  patriotism 
HO  ardent.  The  general  government,  having  seen  and 
admired  the  consummate  military  knowledge  displayed 
hy  him  in  the  Creek  campaign,  determined  to  secure 
his  services  to  the  regular  army.  On  the  !^Vd  of  May 
fie  was  notified  hy  the  war  department,  that  the  presi- 
dent  had  appointed  him  hrigadicr-gcneral,  and  brevet" 
major-general,  in  the  United  States  service.  Shortly 
afterwards,  he  was  still  further  honoured  with  a  com 
mission  as  major-general,  a.  vacancy  having  twjen  cre 
ated  hy  the  resignation  of  Major-General  Harrison. 
The,  first  service  in  which  the  government  employed 
him,  was  the  negotiation  of  a  treaty  with  the?  HavageH 
whom  he  had  conquered. 

Pursuant  to  the  orders  of  the  secretary  of  war, 
(•eneral  Jackson  proceeded  again  to  the  scene  of  his 
trials  and  triumphs.  He  arrived  at  the  Alabama  river 

on  the  I oth  of  July,  I8H,  and  immediately  entered 
upon  his  duties.  Hy  the  I  Oth  of  August,  he  had  con 
cluded  a  treaty  with  the  Creeks,  hy  which  they  hound 
themselves  not  to  engage  in  hostilities  against  the 
United  States,  nor  to  permit  emissaries  from  any 


254 


CONCLUSION    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 


General  Harrison. 


foreign  power  to  enter  their  country.  They  also 
agreed  to  cede  to  the  United  States  all  that  part  of 
their  territory  lying  west  and  south  of  a  line  running 
along  the  Coosa  river  from  the  Cherokee  boundary  to 
Woe-tum-ka,  and  thence  eastwardly  to  Georgia. 
They  pleaded  long  and  earnestly  to  be  permitted  to 
retain  their  lands. 

Unwilling  to  resort  to  any  other  mode  of  living 
than  that  to  which  they  had  been  always  accustomed ; 
and  satisfied  that  their  means  of  subsistence  would  be 
lost  in  the  surrender  of  their  country,  they  remained 
obstinately  opposed  to  such  an  arrangement.  Before 
being  finally  acted  upon,  the  treaty  was  fully  debated 
in  council,  and  the  voice  of  the  nation  decided  against 
it.  Jackson  had  already  submitted  the  views  of  his 


SPEECH    OF    BIG    WARRIOR.  255 


Big  Warrior. 

government,  and  now  met  them   in  council  to  learn 
their  determination. 

He  was  answered  by  the  Big  Warrior,  a  friendly 
chief,  and  one  of  their  first  orators,  who  declared  the 
reluctance  they  felt  in  yielding  to  the  demand,  from  a 
conviction  of  the  consequences  involved,  and  the  dis 
tresses  it  must  inevitably  bring  upon  them.  The  firm 
and  dignified  eloquence  of  this  untutored  orator  evinced 
a  nerve  and  force  of  expression  that  might  not  have 
passed  unnoticed  before  a  more  highly  polished  as 
sembly.  The  conclusion  of  his  speech  is  given,  for  the 
satisfaction  of  such  as  can  mark  the  bold  display  of 
savage  genius,  and  admire  it  when  discovered.  Having 
unfolded  the  causes  that  produced  the  war,  and  ad 
mitted  that  they  had  been  preserved  alone  by  the  army 
which  had  hastened  to  their  assistance,  he  urged,  that 

though  in  justice  it  might  be  required  of  them  to 
20* 


256         CONCLUSION    OF    THE   CREEK    WAR. 

defray  the  expenses  incurred  by  the  transfer  of  a  part 
of  their  country,  yet  the  demand  was  premature,  be 
cause  the  war  party  was  not  conquered:  they  had 
only  fled  away,  and  might  yet  return.  He  portrayed 
the  habits  of  the  Indians,  and  how  seriously  they  would 
be  affected  by  the  required  surrender;  and  thus 
concluded : 

"  The  President,  our  father,  advises  us  to  honesty 
and  fairness,  and  promises  that  justice  shall  be  done : 
I  hope  and  trust  it  will  be  !  I  made  this  war,  which 
has  proved  so  fatal  to  my  country,  that  the  treaty 
entered  into  a  long  time  ago  with  Father  Washington 
might  not  be  broken.  To  his  friendly  arm  I  hold  fast. 
I  will  never  break  that  chain  of  friendship  we 
made  together,  and  which  bound  us  to  stand  by  the 
United  States.  He  was  a  father  to  the  Muscoga 
people ;  and  not  only  to  them,  but  to  all  the  people 
beneath  the  sun.  His  talk  I  now  hold  in  my  hand. 
There  sits  the  agent*  he  sent  among  us.  Never  has 
he  broken  the  treaty.  He  has  lived  with  us  a  long  time. 
He  has  seen  our  children  born,  who  now  have  children. 
By  his  direction,  cloth  was  woven,  and  clothes  were 
made,  and  spread  through  our  country :  but  the  red- 
sticks  came,  and  destroyed  all, — we  have  none  now. 
Hard  is  our  situation,  and  you  ought  to  consider  it. 
I  state  what  all  the  nation  knows :  nothing  will  I 
keep  secret. 

"  There  is  the  Little  Warrior,  whom  Colonel  Haw 
kins  knows.  While  we  were  giving  satisfaction  for 
the  murders  which  had  been  committed,  he  proved  a 

*  Colonel  Hawkins. 


SPEECH    OF    BIG    WARRIOR.  257 

mischief-maker ;  he  went  to  the  British  on  the  lakes ; 
he  came  back,  and  brought  a  package  to  the  frontiers, 
which  increased  the  murders  here.  This  conduct  has 
already  made  the  war  party  to  suffer  greatly ;  but,  al 
though  almost  destroyed,  they  will  not  yet  open  their 
eyes ;  but  are  still  led  away  by  the  British  at  Pensacola. 
Not  so  with  us :  we  were  rational,  and  had  our  senses 
— we  yet  are  so.  In  the  war  of  the  revolution,  our 
father  beyond  the  waters  encouraged  us  to  join  him, 
and  we  did  so.  We  had  no  sense  then.  The  promises 
he  made  were  never  kept.  We  were  young  and  foolish, 
and  fought  with  him.  The  British  can  no  longer  per 
suade  us  to  do  wrong :  they  have  deceived  us  once, 
and  can  deceive  us  no  more.  You  are  two  great 
people.  If  you  go  to  war,  we  will  have  no  concern  in 
it ;  for  we  are  not  able  to  fight.  We  wish  to  be  at 
peace  with  every  nation.  If  they  offer  me  arms,  I  will 
say  to  them,  You  put  me  in  danger  to  war  against  a 
people  born  in  our  own  land.  They  shall  never  force 
us  into  danger.  You  shall  never  see  that  our  chiefs 
are  boys  in  council,  who  will  be  forced  to  do  anything. 
I  talk  thus,  knowing  that  Father  Washington  advised 
us  never  to  interfere  in  wars.  He  told  us  that  those 
in  peace  were  the  happiest  people.  He  told  us  that 
if  an  enemy  attacked  him,  he  had  warriors  enough, 
and  did  not  wish  his  red  children  to  help  him.  If  the 
British  advise  us  to  do  anything,  I  will  tell  you, — not 
hide  it  from  you.  If  they  say  we  must  fight,  I  will 
tell  them,  No !" 

The  war  party  not  being  entirely  subdued,  was  but 
a  pretext  to  avoid  the  demand ;  presuming  that  if  the 
council  should  break  up  without  anything  being  defi- 
33 


258         CONCLUSION    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 

nitely  done,  they  might,  in  part,  or  perhaps  altogether, 
avoid  what  was  now  required ;  but  the  inflexibility  of 
the  person  with  whom  they  were  treating,  evinced 
to  them  that,  however  just  and  well-founded  might  be 
their  objections,  the  policy  under  which  he  acted  was 
too  clearly  defined  for  an  abandonment  of  his  demand 
to  be  at  all  calculated  upon.  Shelocta,  one  of  their 
chiefs,  who  had  joined  Jackson's  troops  at  the  com 
mencement  of  the  war,  who  had  marched  and  fought 
with  them  in  all  their  battles,  and  had  attached  to  him 
self  strongly  the  confidence  of  the  commanding  general, 
now  addressed  him,  wishing  to  preserve  to  the  nation 
the  country  west  of  the  Coosa.  He  appealed  to  the 
feelings  of  Jackson  ;  told  him  of  the  dangers  they  had 
passed  together ;  and  of  his  faithfulness  to  him  in  the 
trying  scenes  through  which  they  had  gone. 

The  voice  of  none  ought  to  have  been  heard  before 
Shelocta's.  None  had  rendered  greater  services,  and 
none  had  been  more  faithful.  He  had  claims  growing 
out  of  his  fidelity  that  few  others  had ;  but  his  wishes 
were  at  variance  with  what  Jackson  considered  the 
interests  of  his  country ;  and  he  answered  without 
hesitation. 

"  You  know,"  said  he,  "  that  the  portion  of  your 
country  which  you  desire  to  retain,  is  that  through 
which  the  intruders  and  mischief-makers  from  the 
lakes  reached  you,  and  urged  your  nation  to  those 
acts  of  violence  that  have  involved  your  people  in 
wretchedness,  and  your  country  in  ruin.  Through 
it  leads  the  path  Tecumseh  trod  when  he  came  to 
visit  you :  that  path  must  be  stopped.  Until  this  be 
done,  your  nation  cannot  expect  happiness,  nor  mine 


TREATY    WITH    THE    CREEKS.  259 

security.  I  have  already  told  you  the  reasons  for  de 
manding  it ;  they  are  such  as  ought  not — cannot  be 
departed  from.  This  evening  must  determine  whether 
or  not  you  are  disposed  to  become  friendly.  Your 
rejecting  the  treaty  will  show  you  to  be  the  enemies 
of  the  United  States — enemies  even  to  yourselves." 
He  admitted  it  to  be  true  that  the  war  was  not  ended, 
but  that  this  was  an  additional  reason  why  the  cession 
should  be  made ;  that  then  a  line  would  be  drawn  by 
which  his  soldiers  would  be  able  to  distinguish  and 
know  their  friends.  "  When  our  armies,"  continued 
he,  "  came  here,  the  hostile  party  had  even  stripped 
you  of  your  country :  we  retook  it,  and  now  offer  it 
to  you ; — theirs  we  propose  to  retain.  Those  who 
are  disposed  to  give  effect  to  the  treaty,  will  sign  it. 
They  will  be  within  our  territory ;  will  be  protected 
and  fed ;  and  no  enemy  of  theirs  or  ours  shall  molest 
them.  Those  who  oppose  it,  shall  have  leave  to  retire 
to  Pensacola.  Here  is  the  paper:  take  it,  and  show 
the  president,  who  are  his  friends.  Consult,  and  this 
evening  let  me  know  who  will  sign  it,  and  who  will 
not.  I  do  not  wish,  nor  will  I  attempt  to  force  any 
of  you ; — act  as  you  think  proper." 

This  freedom  of  action  admitted  of  little  choice  in 
their  weakened  and  dispirited  condition ;  and  at  the 
appointed  time  the  treaty  was  returned  with  the  signa 
tures  of  the  chiefs.  The  frontiers  were  thus  secured 
against  savage  depredations,  and  the  communication 
between  the  Creeks  and  Seminoles  entirely  destroyed. 
It  would  have  been  unsafe,  however,  to  regard  peace 
as  permanently  secured,  while  several  of  the  principal 
chiefs  of  the  hostile  Creeks,  with  many  of  their  fol- 


2GO         CONCLUSION    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 


Treaty  with  the  Creeks. 


lowers,  were  protected  by  the  Spanish  authorities  at 
Pensacola.  Two  of  these  chiefs,  named  M'Queen  and 
Francis,  had  taken  an  active  part  in  the  massacre  at 
Fort  Mimms,  and  the  subsequent  hostilities.  The 
Spanish  governor  permitted  them  to  be  exercised  in 
military  evolutions,  and  regularly  drilled  by  British 
officers ;  and  arms  and  ammunition  for  their  use  were 
landed  from  British  vessels.  It  could  not  be  over 
looked  that  this  course  of  the  Spaniards  would  inevi 
tably  lead  to  a  renewal  of  the  Creek  war,  with  perhaps 
greater  barbarity  than  ever.  General  Jackson  deter 
mined  to  put  a  stop  to  these  proceedings,  by  remon- 


LETTER  TO  THE  SPANISH  GOVERNOR.  261 


Indian  Village. 


strance,  if  possible  ;  by  force,  if  argument  should  fail. 
Previous  to  addressing  the  Spanish  governor  on  the 
subject,  he  sent  several  officers  privately  to  Pensacola, 
to  ascertain  the  true  state  of  things  at  that  post.  They 
reported  that  the  information  previously  received  was 
correct,  and  that  the  governor  was  completely  under 
the  influence  of  the  British.  Jackson  now  wrote  a 
letter  to  Don  Gonzales  Manriquez,  the  Spanish  gover 
nor,  requesting  him  to  deliver  up  M'Queen  and  Fran 
cis,  that  they  might  receive  the  punishment  due  to 
their  crimes ;  and  remonstrating  against  the  protection 
and  assistance  afforded  to  the  British.  The  governor 
returned  a  positive  refusal  to  what  he  affected  to  con- 


262         CONCLUSION    OF    THE    CREEK    WAR. 

sider  an  extraordinary  demand,  and  even  asserted  that 
the  United  States  had  usurped  the  territory  ceded  to 
them  by  the  Creeks  in  the  treaty  of  the  Hickory 
Ground.  An  angry  correspondence  followed,  without 
producing  any  effect  upon  the  Spaniard. 

After  concluding  the  Creek  negotiations,  General 
Jackson  was  appointed  commander-in-chief  of  the  7th 
military  district,  comprising  Tennessee,  Louisiana,  and 
the  Mississippi  territory  ;  and  fixed  his  head  quarters 
at  Mobile. 


Death  of  Lieutenant  Murray. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

PENSACOLA. 

UR  narrative  now  takes  us  to  the 
Spanish  province  of  Florida.  Spe 
cial  messengers,  sent  by  Jackson  to 
Pen sa cola,  had  reported  the  pre 
sence  of  the  British  and  hostile  In 
dians  there,  in  great  force.  One 
of  these  messengers,  Captain  Gordon,  reported  that  he 
saw  in  Pensacola  and  its  vicinity  upwards  of  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty  British  officers,  a  park  of  artillery,  and 
about  five  hundred  Indians,  dressed  in  British  uniform, 
and  under  drill  by  British  officers.  General  Jackson, 
to  make  assurance  doubly  sure,  despatched  Lieutenant 
21 


264  PENSACOLA. 

Murray,  with  twenty-five  men,  to  reconnoitre  Pensa- 
cola  and  the  fortress  of  Barrancas,  and  report  the 
truth  of  the  matter.  They  saw  seven  British  armed 
vessels  in  the  bay,  and  the  British  jack  hoisted  beside 
the  Spanish  flag  on  the  walls  of  the  Barrancas.  Re 
turning,  within  three  miles  of  Pensacola,  Lieutenant 
Murray  was  mortally  wounded  by  a  rifle-shot  of  an 
Indian.  The  report  of  the  rifle  was  answered  from 
the  fort  and  the  town,  and  the  detachment  had  to  hasten 
onward  to  avoid  capture.  The  Indian  was  slain,  and 
Murray  was  put  on  horseback,  when  the  troop  pro 
ceeded.  It  had  gone  but  a  short  distance,  when  it 
was  perceived  that  the  lieutenant  was  dead.  In  full 
hearing  of  the  whoops,  yells,  and  firing,  indicating  a 
close  pursuit,  the  troops  halted  at  a  little  hole  in  the 
earth,  or  ravine,  and  laid  the  body  of  their  commander 
therein,  "  with  his  martial  cloak  around  him ;"  a  little 
earth  and  leaves  were  hastily  thrown  over  his  re 
mains,  and  the  party  pushed  forward  to  the  American 
camp.* 

All  this  was  done  in  Spanish  territory,  in  the  terri 
tory  of  a  king  professing  to  be  neutral  in  the  war 
between  Britain  and  the  United  States.  Jackson  im 
mediately  made  this  state  of  affairs  known  to  the  go 
vernment.  In  detailing  to  the  secretary  of  war  what 
had  been  communicated  to  him,  he  remarks  : — 

"If  the  hostile  Creeks  have  taken  refuge  in  Florida, 
and  are  there  fed,  clothed,  and  protected ;  if  the  British 
have  landed  a  large  force,  and  munitions  of  war,  and  are 
fortifying  and  stirring  up  the  savages ;  will  you  only 

*  Cartwright's  Eulogy. 


LETTER  TO  THE  SPANISH  GOVERNOR.  265 

say  to  me,  raise  a  few  hundred  militia,  which  can  be 
quickly  done,  and  with  such  regular  force  as  can  be 
conveniently  collected,  make  a  descent  upon  Pensacola, 
and  reduce  it  ?  If  so,  I  promise  you  the  war  in  the 
south  shall  have  a  speedy  termination,  and  English 
influence  be  for  ever  destroyed  with  the  savages  in 
this  quarter." 

The  secretary  of  war,  General  Armstrong,  coin 
cided  with  him,  and,  indeed,  authorized  him  to  attack 
Pensacola;  but  though  his  letter  bore  date  the  18th 
of  July,  1814,  it  was  never  received  by  Jackson  until  the 
\lt~h  of  January,  1815;  that  is,  nine  days  after  the 
British  army  had  been  partly  slaughtered  and  partly 
driven  into  the  sea  by  the  battle  of  New  Orleans ! 

In  the  meantime  he  had  received  no  instructions 
from  the  war  department  relative  to  the  course  to  be 
pursued  towards  the  neutral  Spanish  authorities  in  Flo 
rida.  Accordingly,  he  at  first  remonstrated  with 
Manriquez,  the  Spanish  governor,  upon  the  impropriety 
and  impolicy  of  his  conduct  in  admitting  and  shelter 
ing  within  his  walls  a  power  with  which  the  United 
States  were  at  war.  He  concluded  by  soliciting  the 
expulsion  of  the  hostile  Creeks  and  British  from  Pen 
sacola  and  the  Barrancas,  and  by  requesting  him  to 
point  out  the  course  he  was  about  to  pursue. 

The  governor,  however,  felt  himself  growing  in  im 
portance.  He  had  received  intelligence  from  Europe 
of  the  defeat  and  imprisonment  of  Napoleon  Buona 
parte, — he  had  placed  arms  in  the  hands  of  savages 
"  for  the  purposes  of  self-defence" — many  of  them  were 
flocking  into  his  territory,  and  more  even  yet  ex 
pected — the  British  had  already  landed  a  partial 
34 


266  PENSACOLA. 

force,  and  a  greater  one  was  daily  looked  for.  Against 
this  certain  and  expected  strength,  added  to  what  his 
own  resources  could  supply,  he  believed  an  American 
general  would  not  venture  to  advance.  These  consi 
derations  led  him  to  assume  a  lofty  tone  in  his  answer 
to  Jackson.  He  arraigned  the  conduct  of  the  United 
States,  in  extinguishing  the  Indian  title  on  the  Ala 
bama  ;  in  harbouring  the  pirates  of  Barataria  ;  in  dis 
regarding  and  violating  their  treaties ;  and  he  pointed 
out  the  danger  to  which  the  restoration  of  peace  in 
Europe  might  shortly  expose  them. 

He  was  as  yet  ignorant  of  the  energy  of  the  man 
already  near  his  borders,  and  who,  to  march  against 
and  break  down  his  fancied  securities,  did  not  desire 
to  be  ordered,  but  only  to  be  apprised  by  his  country 
that  he  was  at  liberty  to  do  it.  Jackson  determined 
again  to  address  him,  and  to  close  the  correspondence 
by  exhibiting  fully  the  grounds  of  complaint  and  accu 
sation  against  him,  in  a  style  at  least  as  courtly  as  his 
own.  He  accordingly  despatched  to  him  the  following 
letter. 

"Were  I  clothed,"  he  remarks,  "with  diplomatic 
power  for  the  purpose  of  discussing  the  topics  em 
braced  in  the  wide  range  of  injuries  of  which  you  com 
plain,  and  which  have  long  since  been  adjusted,  I  could 
easily  demonstrate  that  the  United  States  have  been 
always  faithful  to  their  treaties,  steadfast  in  their 
friendships,  nor  have  ever  claimed  anything  that  was 
not  warranted  by  justice.  They  have  endured  many 
insults  from  the  governors  and  other  officers  of  Spain, 
which,  if  sanctioned  by  their  sovereign,  amounted  to 
acts  of  war,  without  any  previous  declaration  on  the 


LETTER  TO  THE  SPANISH  GOVERNOR.  267 

subject.  They  have  excited  the  savages  to  war,  and 
afforded  them  the  means  of  waging  it :  the  property 
of  our  citizens  has  been  captured  at  sea,  and  if  com 
pensation  has  not  been  refused,  it  has  at  least  been 
withheld.  But,  as  no  such  powers  have  been  delegated 
to  me,  I  shall  not  assume  them,  but  leave  them  to  the 
representatives  of  our  respective  governments. 

"  I  have  the  honour  of  being  intrusted  with  the 
command  of  this  district.  Charged  with  its  protection 
and  the  safety  of  its  citizens,  I  feel  my  ability  to  dis 
charge  the  task,  and  trust  your  excellency  will  always 
find  me  ready  and  willing  to  go  forward  in  the  per 
formance  of  that  duty,  whenever  circumstances  shall 
render  it  necessary.  I  agree  with  you,  perfectly,  that 
candour  and  polite  language  should,  at  all  times, 
characterize  the  communications  between  the  officers 
of  friendly  sovereignties  ;  and  I  assert,  without  the 
fear  of  contradiction,  that  my  former  letters  were 
couched  in  terms  the  most  respectful  and  unexception 
able.  I  only  requested,  and  did  not  demand,  as  you 
have  asserted,  the  ringleaders  of  the  Creek  confede 
racy,  who  had  taken  refuge  in  your  town,  and  who 
had  violated  all  laws,  moral,  civil,  and  divine.  This  I 
had  a  right  to  do,  from  the  treaty  which  I  sent  you, 
and  which  I  now  again  enclose,  with  a  request  that 
you  will  change  your  translation,  believing,  as  I  do, 
that  your  former  one  was  wrong,  and  has  deceived 
you.  \Vhat  kind  of  an  answer  you  returned,  a  refer 
ence  to  your  letter  will  explain.  The  whole  of  it 
breathed  nothing  but  hostility,  grounded  upon  assumed 
facts  and  false  charges,  and  entirely  evading  the  in 
quiries  that  hau  Ven  made. 
21* 


26S  PENS  AC  OLA. 

"  I  can  but  express  my  astonishment  at  your  protest 
against  the  cession  on  the  Alabama,  lying  within  the 
acknowledged  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States,  and 
which  has  been  ratified  in  due  form  by  the  principal 
chiefs  and  warriors  of  the  nation.  But  my  astonish 
ment  subsides,  when,  on  comparing  it,  I  find  it  upon  a 
par  with  the  rest  of  your  letter  and  conduct ;  taken 
together,  they  afford  a  sufficient  justification  for  any 
consequences  that  may  ensue.  My  government  will 
protect  every  inch  of  her  territory,  her  citizens,  and 
their  property,  from  insult  and  depredation,  regardless 
of  the  political  revolutions  of  Europe :  and  although 
she  has  been  at  all  times  sedulous  to  preserve  a  good 
understanding  with  all  the  world,  yet  she  has  sacred 
rights  that  cannot  be  trampled  upon  with  impunity. 
Spain  had  better  look  to  her  own  intestine  commo 
tions,  before  she  walks  forth  in  that  majesty  of 
strength  and  power  which  you  threaten  to  draw  upon 
the  United  States. 

"  Your  excellency  has  been  candid  enough  to 
admit  your  having  supplied  the  Indians  with  arms.  In 
addition  to  this,  I  have  learned  that  a  British  flag  has 
been  seen  flying  over  one  of  your  forts.  All  this  is  done 
whilst  you  are  pretending  to  be  neutral.  You  cannot 
be  surprised,  then,  but  on  the  contrary  will  provide  a 
fort  in  your  town  for  my  soldiers  and  Indians,  should 
I  take  it  in  my  head  to  pay  you  a  visit. 

"In  future,  I  beg  you  withhold  your  insulting 
charges  against  my  government,  for  one  more  inclined 
to  listen  to  slander  than  I  am ;  nor  consider  me  any 
more  as  a  diplomatic  character,  unless  as  proclaimed 
to  you  from  the  mouths  of  my  cannon." 


ARRIVAL    OF    THE    BRITISH. 


269 


Arrival  of  British  ships  at  Pensacola. 


On  the  25th  of  August,  three  British  ships  of  war 
arrived  at  Pensacola,  and  garrisoned  the  fort  at  that 
place  with  three  hundred  men.  At  the  same  time  a 
large  quantity  of  arms  and  munitions  of  war  were  de 
posited  there,  the  whole  destined  for  the  use  of  a  large 
armament  which  the  British  were  preparing  in  the 
West  Indies  for  the  conquest  of  the  Mississippi  val 
ley.  Colonel  Nicholls,  the  British  commander,  issued 
the  following  audacious  address  to  the  people  of 
Louisiana  and  Kentucky. 

"  Natives  of  Louisiana ! — On  you  the  first  call  is 
made  to  assist  in  liberating  from  a  faithless,  imbecile 
government,  your  paternal  soil.  Spaniards,  French 
men,  Italians,  and  British,  whether  settled,  or  residing 
for  a  time  in  Louisiana,  on  you  also  I  call  to  aid  me 
in  this  just  cause.  The  American  usurpation  in  this 
country  must  be  abolished,  and  the  lawful  owners  of 
the  soil  put  in  possession.  I  am  at  the  head  of  a  large 


270  PENSACOLA, 

body  of  Indians,  well  armed,  disciplined,  and  com 
manded  by  British  officers — a  good  train  of  artillery, 
with  every  requisite,  seconded  by  the  powerful  aid  of 
a  numerous  British  and  Spanish  squadron  of  ships 
and  vessels  of  war.  Be  not  alarmed,  inhabitants  of 
the  country,  at  our  approach:  the  same  good  faith 
and  disinterestedness,  which  has  distinguished  the 
conduct  of  Britons  in  Europe,  accompanies  them  here; 
you  will  have  no  fear  of  litigious  taxes  imposed  on 
you  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  an  unnatural  and 
unjust  war;  your  property,  your  laws,  the  peace  and 
tranquillity  of  your  country,  will  be  guarantied  to  you 
by  men  who  will  suffer  no  infringement  of  theirs. 
Rest  assured  that  these  brave  red  men  only  burn  with 
an  ardent  desire  of  satisfaction  for  the  wrongs  they 
have  suffered  from  the  Americans ;  to  join  you  in  libe 
rating  these  southern  provinces  from  their  yoke,  and 
drive  them  into  those  limits  formerly  prescribed  by 
my  sovereign.  The  Indians  have  pledged  themselves 
in  the  most  solemn  manner  not  to  injure  in  the  slight 
est  degree  the  persons  or  property  of  any  but  enemies. 
A  flag  over  any  door,  whether  Spanish,  French,  or 
British,  will  be  a  certain  protection :  nor  dare  any  In 
dian  put  his  foot  on  the  threshold  thereof,  under 
penalty  of  death  from  his  own  countrymen :  not  even 
an  enemy  will  an  Indian  put  to  death,  except  resisting 
in  arms ;  and  as  for  injuring  helpless  women  and  chil 
dren,  the  red  men,  by  their  good  conduct  and  treat 
ment  to  them,  will,  (if  it  be  possible,)  make  the 
Americans  blush  for  their  more  inhuman  conduct 
lately  on  the  Escambia,  and  within  a  neutral  territory. 
Inhabitants  of  Kentucky !  you  have  too  long  borne 


NICHOLLS'    PROCLAMATION.  271 

with  grievous  impositions — the  whole  brunt  of  the  war 
has  fallen  on  your  brave  sons:  be  imposed  on  no 
longer ;  but  either  range  yourselves  under  the  standard 
of  your  forefathers,  or  observe  a  strict  neutrality.     If 
you  comply  with  either  of  these  offers,  whatever  provi 
sions  you  send  down,  will  be  paid  for  in  dollars,  and 
the  safety  of  the  persons  bringing  it,  as  well  as  the  free 
navigation   of  the   Mississippi,    guarantied    to   you. 
Men  of  Kentucky !  let  me  call  to  your  view  (and  I 
trust  to  your  abhorrence)  the  conduct  of  those  factions 
which  hurried  you  into  this  civil,  unjust,  and  unnatural 
war,  at  a  time  when  Great  Britain  was  straining  every 
nerve  in  defence  of  her  own,  and  the  liberties  of  the 
world — when  the  bravest  of  her  sons  were  fighting 
and  bleeding  in  so  sacred  a  cause — when  she  was  spend 
ing  millions  of  her  treasure  in  endeavouring  to  pull 
down  one  of  the  most  formidable  and  dangerous  ty 
rants  that  ever  disgraced  the  form  of  man — when 
groaning  Europe  was  almost  at  her  last  gasp — when 
Britons  alone  showed  an  undaunted  front, — basely  did 
these  assassins  endeavour  to  stab  her  from  the  rear ; 
she  has  turned  on  them,  renovated  from  the  bloody, 
but  successful  struggle;  Europe  is  happy  and  free, 
and  she  now  hastens,  justly  to  revenge  the  unprovoked 
insult.     Show  them  that  you  are  not  collectively  un 
just;  leave  that  contemptible  few  to  shift  for  them 
selves  :  let  those  slaves  of  the  tyrant  send  an  embassy 
to  Elba,  and  implore  his  aid ;  but  let  every  honest, 
upright  American  spurn  them  with  united  contempt. 
After  the  experience  of  twenty-one  years,  can  you 
longer  support  these  brawlers  for  liberty,  who  call  it 
freedom  when  themselves  are  free?     Be  no  longer 


•272  PENSACOLA. 

their  dupes, — accept  of  my  offers — everything  I  have 
promised  in  this  paper  I  guaranty  to  you  on  the 
sacred  honour  of  a  British  officer.  Given  under  my 
hand,  at  my  head  quarters,  Pensacola,  this  29th  day 
of  August,  1814. 

"EDWARD  NICHOLLS." 

The  sacred  honour  of  a  British  officer !  Coming, 
as  he  says,  "  at  the  head  of  a  large  body  of  savages" 
to  "  free  the  people  of  America  from  litigious  taxes" 
while  the  people  of  England  were  at  the  very  moment 
paying  enormous  taxes  to  support  him  and  his  family. 
However,  here  is  this  man  of  "  sacred  honour"  telling 
the  Americans  that  his  "  head  quarters"  are  at  Pensa 
cola,  though  the  Spaniard  pleaded  his  neutrality. 

Immediately  on  seeing  this  proclamation,  General 
Jackson  again  urged  on  the  government  the  reduction 
of  Pensacola.  In  one  of  his  letters  he  says : — 

"  How  long  will  the  United  States  pocket  the  re 
proach  and  open  insults  of  Spain  ?  It  is  alone  by  a 
manly  and  dignified  course  that  we  can  secure  respect 
from  other  nations  and  peace  to  our  own.  Tempori 
zing  policy  is  not  only  a  disgrace,  but  a  curse  to  any 
nation.  It  is  a  fact  that  a  British  captain  of  marines 
is  and  has  been  for  some  time  engaged  in  drilling  and 
organizing  the  fugitive  Creeks,  under  the  eye  of  the 
governor ;  endeavouring  by  his  influence  and  presents 
to  draw  to  his  standard  as  well  the  peaceable  as  hos 
tile  Indians.  If  permission  had  been  given  me  to 
march  against  this  place  twenty  days  ago,  I  would 
ere  this  have  planted  there  the  American  Eagle  ;  now 
we  must  trust  alone  to  our  valour,  and  the  justice  of 


ATTACK   ON   FORT   BOWYER.  273 

our  cause.  But  my  present  resources  are  so  limited, 
— a  sickly  climate  as  well  as  an  enemy  to  contend 
with,  and  without  the  means  of  transportation  to 
change  the  position  of  my  army,  that,  resting  on  the 
bravery  of  my  little  phalanx,  I  can  only  hope  for 


success." 


As  soon  as  his  business  at  Fort  Jackson  was  com 
pleted  he  set  out  for  Mobile,  to  place  the  country  in  a 
state  of  defence.  The  third  regiment,  a  part  of  the 
forty-fourth  and  thirty-ninth,  was  all  the  regular  force 
he  could  at  this  time  command.  There  were  now  so 
many  signs  of  an  early  visit  from  the  enemy,  that 
Jackson  wrote  to  his  adjutant-colonel,  Butler,  and 
ordered  him  to  hasten  forward  with  all  the  volunteers 
he  could  procure,  and  join  him  without  delay.  The 
order  reached  Nashville  on  the  9th  of  September,  and 
by  the  28th,  General  Coffee  commenced  his  march  for 
Mobile,  at  the  head  of  two  thousand  volunteers ;  while 
Colonel  Butler,  with  the  greatest  activity,  hastened  to 
meet  and  push  on  the  militia  under  Colonel  Lowery. 

Nicholls  had  waited  about  two  weeks,  that  his  pro 
clamation  might  take  effectual  hold  and  prepare  the 
inhabitants  to  open  their  bosoms  to  receive  him,  when 
this  delivering  hero,  aided  by  his  Indian  and  Spanish 
allies,  set  out  to  ascertain  the  effect  it  had  wrought. 
His  first  visit  was  to  Fort  Bowyer,  situated  on  the 
extreme  end  of  a  narrow  neck  of  land  about  eighteen 
miles  below  the  head  of  Mobile  bay,  and  commanding 
the  entrance.  The  fort  was  defended  by  Major  Law 
rence  of  the  United  States  infantry,  with  one  hundred 
and  thirty  men.  The  attacking  force  consisted  of  two 
ships  and  two  brigs,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
35 


274 


PENSACOLA, 


Attack  on  Fort  Bowyer. 


Percy.  They  arrived  off  Mobile  Point  on  the  15th  of 
September,  and  commenced  a  heavy  cannonade. 
Three  hundred  British  and  Indians  were  landed,  who 
erected  a  battery  in  the  rear  of  the  fort ;  but  they  were 
driven  off  by  the  fire  of  the  garrison.  The  cannon 
ading  continued  during  the  day  with  great  fury,  the 
British  suffering  much  from  the  fire  of  the  fort.  At 
evening  one  ship  and  the  brigs  abandoned  their  posi 
tion.  The  Hermes,  the  commodore's  ship,  had  her  cable 
carried  away,  and  drifted  upon  the  shoals,  where  she 
was  exposed  to  the  whole  fire  of  the  fort.  Her  re 
moval  being  impossible,  her  crew  set  fire  to  her,  and 
went  on  board  the  other  vessels.  The  Hermes  soon 
blew  up,  and,  on  the  next  day,  the  squadron  returned  to 
Pensacola.  This  repulse  produced  great  chagrin  and 
disappointment  among  the  British,  who  had  confidently 


JACKSON'S    PROCLAMATION.  275 

expected  to  capture  the  fort.  That  object  attained, 
Mobile  would  have  been  in  their  power,  and  an  effectual 
diversion  made  in  favour  of  the  army  destined  to  ope 
rate  against  New  Orleans.  The  result  of  the  attempt 
destroyed  these  brilliant  expectations,  and  inspired  the 
American  soldiers  with  that  confidence  in  themselves 
so  indispensable  to  success.  The  fears  which  many 
had  entertained  of  the  prowess  of  the  so-called  invin 
cible  heroes  of  the  Peninsula,  gave  place  to  an  enthusi 
astic  desire  to  meet  and  beat  them  in  the  field.  The 
loss  of  the  British  in  this  attack  was  two  hundred  and 
thirty-two  men  killed  arid  wounded ;  that  of  the  Ame 
ricans  was  four  killed  and  four  wounded. 

"On  the  17th  General  Jackson  wrote  a  compli 
mentary  letter  to  Major  Lawrence,  expressive  of  the 
joy  he  felt  on  hearing  of  the  glorious  defence  made  by 
the  garrison  under  his  command,  and  acquainting  him 
that  he  had  despatched  information  of  it  to  the  general 
government,  who  would  not  fail  duly  to  reward  the 
brave  defenders  of  the  rights  and  honour  of  the  Ame 
rican  people."* 

On  the  21st  of  September  Jackson  issued  the  fol 
lowing  proclamation  to  the  people  of  Louisiana : — 

"  Louisianians  !  The  base,  the  perfidious  Britons 
have  attempted  to  invade  your  country — they  had  the 
temerity  to  attack  Fort  Bo  wye r  with  their  incongruous 
horde  of  Indians  and  negro  assassins — they  seemed  to 
have  forgotten  that  this  fort  was  defended  by  freemen 
— they  were  not  long  indulged  in  their  error — the 
gallant  Lawrence,  with  his  little  Spartan  band,  has 

*  Latour. 
22 


276  PENSACOLA. 

given  them  a  lecture  that  will  last  for  ages ;  he  has 
taught  them  what  men  can  do  when  fighting  for  their 
liberty,  when  contending  against  slaves.  He  has  con 
vinced  Sir  W.  H.  Percy  that  his  companions  in  arms 
are  not  to  be  conquered  by  proclamations ;  that  the 
strongest  British  bark  is  not  invulnerable  to  the  force 
of  American  artillery,  directed  by  the  steady,  nervous 
arm  of  a  freeman. 

"  Louisianians !  The  proud  Briton,  the  natural  and 
sworn  enemy  of  all  Frenchmen,  has  called  upon  you, 
by  proclamation,  to  aid  him  in  his  tyranny,  and  to 
prostrate  the  holy  temple  of  our  liberty.  Can  Louisi 
anians,  can  Frenchmen,  can  Americans,  ever  stoop  to 
be  the  slaves  or  allies  of  Britain  ? 

"  The  proud,  vain-glorious  boaster,  Colonel  Ni- 
cholls,  when  he  addressed  you,  Louisianians  and  Ken- 
tuckians,  had  forgotten  that  you  were  the  votaries  of 
freedom,  or  he  would  never  have  pledged  the  honour 
of  a  British  officer  for  the  faithful  performance  of  his 
promise,  to  lure  you  from  your  fidelity  to  the  govern 
ment  of  your  choice.  I  ask  you,  Louisianians,  can 
we  place  any  confidence  in  the  honour  of  men  who 
have  courted  an  alliance  with  pirates  and  robbers? 
Have  not  these  noble  Britons,  these  honourable  men, 
Colonel  Nicholls  and  the  honourable  Captain  W.  H. 
Percy,  the  true  representatives  of  their  royal  master, 
done  this  ?  Have  they  not  made  offers  to  the  pirates 
of  Barataria  to  join  them  and  their  holy  cause  ?  And 
have  they  not  dared  to  insult  you  by  calling  on  you  to 
associate  as  brethren  with  them  and  this  piratical 
banditti  ? 

"  Louisianians !  The  government  of  your  choice  is 


JACKSON'S    PROCLAiWATION.  277 

engaged  in  a  just  and  honourable  contest  for  the  secu 
rity  of  your  individual  and  her  national  rights — on 
you,  a  part  of  America,  the  only  country  on  earth 
where  every  man  enjoys  freedom — where  its  blessings 
are  alike  extended  to  the  poor  and  the  rich — she  calls 
to  protect  these  rights  from  the  invading  usurpation 
of  Britain ;  and  she  calls  not  in  vain.  I  well  know 
that  every  man  whose  soul  beats  high  at  the  proud 
title  of  freeman ;  that  every  Louisianian,  either  by 
birth  or  adoption,  will  promptly  obey  the  voice  of  his 
country,  will  rally  round  the  eagle  of  Columbia,  secure 
it  from  the  pending  danger,  or  nobly  die  in  the  last 
ditch  in  its  defence. 

"  The  individual  who  refuses  to  defend  his  rights, 
when  called  upon  by  his  government,  deserves  to  be  a 
slave,  and  must  be  punished  as  an  enemy  to  his  coun 
try,  and  a  friend  to  her  foe. 

"  The  undersigned  has  been  intrusted  with  the  de 
fence  of  your  country — on  you  he  relies  to  aid  him  in 
this  important  duty ;  in  this  reliance  he  hopes  not  to 
be  mistaken.  He  trusts  in  the  justice  of  his  cause 
and  the  patriotism  of  his  countrymen — confident  that 
any  further  attempt  to  invade  our  soil  will  be  repelled 
as  the  last,  he  calls  not  on  either  pirates  or  robbers  to 
join  him  in  the  glorious  cause. 

"  Your  governor  has  been  fully  authorized  to  or 
ganize  any  volunteer  company,  battalion,  or  regiment 
which  may  proffer  its  services  under  this  call,  and  is 
informed  of  their  probable  destination." 

The  expected  reinforcements  from  Tennessee  hav 
ing  arrived  about  the  middle  of  October,  General 
Jackson  determined  to  proceed  immediately  against 


278  PENSACOLA. 

Pensacola.  Jackson  and  his  government  had  ever 
viewed  this  expedition  in  very  different  lights :  they 
were  not  willing  to  risk  a  contest  with  Spain,  for  the 
sake  of  removing  what  they  considered  an  inconsider 
able  injury  :  he  thought  it  of  more  serious  import,  arid 
did  not  believe  it  could  afford  even  a  pretext  for  rup 
ture  between  the  two  nations.  If  Spain  through  her 
agents  permitted  and  encouraged  a  power  with  whom 
she  was  at  peace  to  be  thus  harassed  and  annoyed,  she 
deserved  to  be  placed  in  the  list  of  enemies,  and  treat 
ed  accordingly.  If,  however,  Great  Britain,  taking 
advantage  of  the  defenceless  state  of  her  province, 
claimed  free  egress  in  exclusion  of  her  authority,  she 
could  have  no  well-founded  cause  of  complaint  against 
the  injured  power,  which  should  hold  it  until  such 
time  as  by  bringing  a  sufficient  force  she  might  be  in 
a  situation  to  support  her  neutrality,  and  enforce  obe 
dience  to  her  laws.  Upon  either  ground  he  believed 
it  might  be  sufficiently  justified.  There  was  one,  how 
ever,  on  which  it  could  be  placed,  where  he  well  knew 
nothing  could  result  beyond  his  own  injury;  and  on 
this  issue  he  was  willing  to  trust  it.  If  any  complaint 
should  be  made,  his  government  having  never  extended 
to  him  an  authority,  might  with  propriety  disavow  the 
act ;  and  by  exposing  him  to  censure  and  punishment, 
it  would  be  an  atonement  for  the  outrage,  and  Spain 
in  justice  could  demand  no  more.  The  attack  on 
Fort  Bowyer  was  a  confirmation  of  his  previous  con 
jectures  as  to  the  views  of  the  enemy ;  and  from  that 
moment  he  determined  to  advance  against  and  reduce 
Pensacola,  throw  a  sufficient  force  into  the  Barrancas, 
hold  it  until  the  principles  of  right  and  neutrality  were 


ATTACK    ON    PENSACOLA.  279 

better  respected,  and  rest  the  measure  on  his  own  re 
sponsibility.  Believing  this  to  be  the  only  course  that 
could  assure  ultimate  security,  he  had  awaited  only 
the  arrival  of  General  Coffee  to  execute  his  intentions. 
On  the  26th  of  October,  he  visited  Coffee's  camp, 
above  Fort  St.  Stephen's,  and  concerted  the  plan  of 
action.  Coffee's  brigade  had  been  strengthened  by 
accessions  received  during  the  march,  augmenting  his 
numbers  to  twenty-eight  hundred  men.  The  scarcity 
of  forage  on  the  route  to  Pensacola  rendered  it  neces 
sary  for  the  forces  to  proceed  thither  on  foot.  One 
thousand  men  from  Coffee's  brigade  were  accordingly 
dismounted,  and  being  united  with  the  regular  forces, 
the  Mississippi  dragoons,  and  a  small  party  of  Choctaw 
Indians,  formed  an  army  of  about  three  thousand  men. 
On  the  2d  of  November,  Jackson  commenced  his 
march,  and  arrived  before  Pensacola  on  the  6th, 
without  having  met  with  any  opposition.  The  town 
and  forts  were  found  to  be  prepared  for  defence ;  the 
former  was  defended  by  batteries  erected  in  the  streets, 
and  the  broadsides  of  the  British  fleet,  which  com 
manded  the  principal  entrance.  Wishing  to  avoid 
violence,  if  possible,  Jackson  sent  Major  Pierre,  of 
the  forty-fourth  regiment,  under  the  protection  of  a 
flag,  to  communicate  with  the  governor,  and  ascertain 
whether  that  functionary  was  willing  to  make  the  ne 
cessary  reparation  for  his  treacherous  conduct,  by 
surrendering  the  refugees,  and  compelling  the  British 
to  quit  his  territory.  He  was  also  directed  to  require 
the  surrender  of  the  town  and  forts,  to  be  held  by  the 
United  States  until  Spain  should  be  able  to  preserve 

her  neutrality. 

22* 


•280  PENSACOLA. 

On  approaching  Fort  St.  Michael,  on  the  walls  of 
which  floated  the  standard  of  Spain,  he  was  fired  at 
by  the  garrison,  and  compelled  to  retire,  without  ac 
complishing  his  object.  This  outrage  was  sufficient 
to  have  justified  General  Jackson  in  taking  the  most 
violent  measures  to  obtain  redress :  but  he  resolved  to 
make  one  more  effort  to  settle  the  matter  amicably. 
He  wrote  a  letter  to  the  governor,  demanding  the 
reason  of  the  insult  offered  to  his  flag,  and  inviting 
him  to  open  a  negotiation.  This  he  sent  by  a  Spanish 
corporal,  who  had  fallen  into  his  hands  on  the  previous 
day.  The  governor  replied  that  the  act  of  firing  upon 
the  flag  had  been  committed  by  the  British,  against 
his  wishes  ;  and  that  he  would  willingly  adjust  the  dif 
ferences  by  pacific  means.  Jackson  accordingly  re 
peated  his  demand  for  the  surrender  of  the  forts, 
engaging  to  restore  them  to  the  Spanish  authorities 
as  soon  as  they  should  be  sufficiently  powerful  to  pro 
tect  themselves  against  the  aggressions  of  the  British. 
In  his  communication  to  the  governor  he  remarked — 

"I  come  not  as  the  enemy  of  Spain ;  not  to  make 
war,  but  to  ask  for  peace ;  to  demand  security  for  my 
country,  and  that  respect  to  which  she  is  entitled  and 
shall  receive.  My  force  is  sufficient,  and  my  determi 
nation  taken,  to  prevent  a  future  repetition  of  the  inju 
ries  she  has  received.  I  demand,  therefore,  the  pos 
session  of  the  Barrancas,  and  other  fortifications,  with 
all  your  munitions  of  war.  If  delivered  peaceably,  the 
whole  shall  be  receipted  for,  and  become  the  subject 
of  future  arrangement,  by  our  respective  governments ; 
while  the  property,  laws,  and  religion  of  your  citizens 
will  be  respected.  But  if  taken  by  an  appeal  to  arms, 


STORMING    OF    THE    SPANISH    BATTERY".    281 

let  the  blood  of  your  subjects  be  upon  your  own  head. 
I  will  not  hold  myse-lf  responsible  for  the  conduct  of 
my  enraged  soldiers.  One  hour  is  given  you  for  deli 
beration,  when  your  determination  must  be  had." 

The  governor  summoned  his  officers  to  consider 
the  demands  of  the  American  general,  and  they  were 
declared  inadmissible.  Jackson  then  prepared  to 
execute  his  threat.  At  an  early  hour  on  the  morning 
of  the  7th  of  November  he  put  his  army  in  motion, 
and  proceeded  towards  the  town.  The  British  and 
Spaniards  expected  that  his  approach  would  be  made 
upon  the  main  road,  and  the  guns  of  the  squadron 
were  accordingly  brought  to  bear  upon  that  entrance. 
To  keep  up  this  persuasion,  five  hundred  mounted  men 
were  ordered  to  proceed  along  the  road,  appearing  to 
be  the  advance  of  the  army,  while  General  Jackson 
with  the  main  body  made  a  partial  circuit  and  ap 
proached  on  the  beach  at  the  east  side.  The  advance 
was  composed  of  one  company  of  the  third  regiment, 
led  by  Captain  Laval.  The  remainder  of  the  regular 
troops  formed  the  centre ;  on  the  right  were  the  Mis 
sissippi  dragoons  and  Choctaws,  on  tfie  left  Coffee's 
mounted  and  dismounted  volunteers.  The  troops  en 
tered  the  town  at  a  quick  pace,  and  proceeded  along 
the  street,  where  they  found  a  battery  defended  by 
Spanish  soldiers.  Captain  Laval  was  severely  wound 
ed  by  the  enemy's  fire,  which  proceeded  from  the  bat 
tery,  the  houses,  fences,  and  every  point  which  afforded 
any  protection.  Notwithstanding  his  fall,  his  company 
rushed  forward,  carried  the  battery,  and  drove  the 
Spanish  troops  from  all  their  positions.  The  governor, 
terrified  it  the  defeat  of  his  troops,  came  forward  with 


282  PENSACOLA. 

a  flag  of  truce,  and  offered  to  comply  with  the  de 
mands  of  Jackson  without  further  resistance.  The 
firing  was  accordingly  stopped,  on  condition  that  the 
forts  should  be  immediately  surrendered.  But  when 
the  American  officers  demanded  possession  of  Fort 
St.  Michael,  they  were  refused,  and  the  guns  of  the 
fort  discharged,  wounding  two  men.  Enraged  at  this 
treachery,  Jackson  ordered  the  place  to  be  stormed, 
and  the  garrison  put  to  the  sword ;  when  the  Spaniards, 
perceiving  the  impossibility  of  successful  resistance, 
surrendered. 

The  Barrancas,  commanding  the  entrance  to  the 
harbour,  being  situated  six  miles  from  the  town,  and 
night  having  nearly  closed  in,  it  was  determined  to 
defer  taking  possession  of  it  until  the  next  morning. 
Early  in  the  morning  the  men  were  drawn  out  for  the 
purpose  of  proceeding  to  the  fort,  when  three  loud 
reports  told  the  unfortunate  consequences  of  the  delay. 
Foreseeing  that  the  capture  of  the  post  was  inevitable, 
the  British  had  prevailed  upon  the  garrison  to  destroy 
it,  that  the  Americans  might  not  be  able  to  impede  the 
escape  of  the  squadron  from  the  harbour. 

Major  Gales,  who  was  sent  with  two  hundred  men 
to  ascertain  the  extent  of  the  damage,  found  the  forti 
fications  destroyed,  and  all  the  guns  but  two  spiked. 
The  British  had  all  retreated  to  their  ships  and  left  the 
harbour,  and  the  hostile  Indians  dispersed  at  the  ap 
proach  of  the  American  forces. 

The  destruction  of  the  Barrancas  made  a  consid 
erable  change  in  the  plans  of  General  Jackson.  The 
importance  of  Pensacola  as  a  rendezvous  to  the  British 
was  very  much  diminished  by  this  event,  and  the  loss 


JACKSON  EVACUATES  PENSACOLA 


285 


Retreat  of  the  British  from  Pensacola  on  the  approach  of  Jackson. 


of  the  principal  means  of  defence  rendered  its  main 
tenance  by  the  Americans  extremely  hazardous. 
Other  reasons  combined  to  induce  a  change  in  the 
designs  of  the  general.  The  Spaniards  had  been 
taught  a  lesson  which  would  probably  operate  to  re 
strain  them  from  affording  further  assistance  to  the 
British:  and  the  departure  of  the  latter  excited  ap 
prehensions  that  they  might  again  return  to  Fort 
Bowyer,  and  make  another  attack  upon  that  impor 
tant,  though  weakly  defended  post.  Jackson  therefore 
resolved  to  evacuate  Pensacola,  and  take  a  position 
whence  he  would  be  able  to  strike  a  blow  at  the  enemy, 
whenever  occasion  should  offer.  On  the  9th  of  No 
vember,  he  restored  the  town  and  forts  to  the  Spaniards, 
and  took  up  the  line  of  march  for  Mobile.  The  loss 


286  PENSACOLA. 


Landing  of  Creeks. 

suffered  by  the  American  forces  in  the  expedition 
against  Pensacola  was  astonishingly  small.  Not  a 
man  was  killed,  and  but  fifteen  or  twenty  wounded. 
Among  the  latter  were  Captain  Laval,  and  Lieutenant 
Flournoy,  who  lost  one  of  his  legs  by  the  fire  of  the 
Spanish  battery.  Captain  Laval  was  left  at  Pensacola, 
where  he  received  every  attention  from  the  governor. 
The  hostile  Creeks,  who  had  assembled  in  con 
siderable  numbers  at  Pensacola,  and  who  had  dis 
persed  at  the  appearance  of  General  Jackson,  had 
chiefly  taken  refuge  on  board  of  the  British  fleet,  which 
conveyed  them  to  the  Apalachicola  river,  where  they 
were  landed,  and  furnished  with  the  means  of  defence. 
Jackson,  aware  of  the  importance  of  destroying  their 
strength  before  they  were  able  to  commit  any  further 
ravages  upon  the  Americans,  sent  Major  Blue,  of  the 
thirty-ninth  regiment,  at  the  head  of  one  thousand 
mounted  men,  to  demolish  their  towns,  and  effectually 


PENSACOLA  AND  TOULON.        287 

break  their  organization.  This  service  being  performed, 
he  was  ordered  to  return  to  Mobile. 

To  the  capture  of  Pensacola  by  Jackson,  "  we  find 
a  corresponding  measure  in  the  history  of  his  great 
contemporary  in  arms,  the  emperor  of  the  French. 
At  Toulon,  Napoleon  Buonaparte,  who  was  then  only 
a  lieutenant  of  artillery,  assumed  the  authority  of  act 
ing  against  orders  proclaimed  by  his  superiors,  and 
which,  in  his  own  language,  had  he  failed  '  would  have 
forfeited  his  head.'  Although  General  Jackson  did 
not  disobey  orders,  as  was  the  fact  with  Buonaparte, 
still  he  entered  a  neutral  town,  relying  on  his  know 
ledge  that  Pensacola  had  forfeited  all  the  rights  of 
neutrality ;  and  in  this  he  risked  his  fame  and  reputa 
tion,  if  not  his  life.  In  the  two  cases  there  is  a  parallel, 
which  shows  that  a  truly  great  mind  is  not  narrowed 
down  and  confined  to  those  limits  which  the  law  in 
all  its  potency  is  pleased  to  circumscribe.  There  are 
times  when  the  necessity  of  the  crisis  (of  which  a 
commanding  general  should  judge)  sweeps  away  the 
barriers  which  the  law  has  established  for  ordinary 
life,  as  though  they  were  but  cobwebs  in  the  place  of 
legal  fetters ;  and  there  are  times,  too,  when  the  con 
duct  of  a  commander  could  not  be  sustained  unless  he 
violated  the  law.  The  cases  of  Toulon  and  Pensacola 
are  in  point;  and  although  the  responsibility  be  great, 
still  the  stretch  of  mind  and  the  depth  of  intellect  must 
fathom  it."  * 

*  Wright's  Eulogy. 


Jackson  in  1815,  from  a  portrait  by  Sully. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

NEW  ORLEANS— BATTLE  OF  THE  TWENTY-THIRD 
OF    DECEMBER. 

HE  general  peace  which 
had  been  concluded  among 
the  powers  of  Europe  in 
April,  1814,  and  which  had 
resulted  in  consigning  Na 
poleon  to  Elba,  enabled 
England  to  concentrate  her 
whole  military  and  naval 
power  upon  our  shores.  In  addition  to  the  warlike 
movements  on  our  northern  and  western  frontiers,  the 
whole  line  of  our  seaboard  was  invaded  at  various 


DESIGNS    OF    THE    BRITISH.  289 

points,  from  the  Passamaquoddy  to  the  Mississippi. 
Baltimore  was  attacked — Havre  de  Grace  was  burned 
— Alexandria  was  pillaged,  and  our  National  Capitol 
itself  was  destroyed  !  The  Senate  Chamber  and  the 
Hall  of  Representatives — the  President's  House  and 
the  buildings  for  the  heads  of  departments — the  library 
of  the  nation  and  the  records  of  the  government — the 
works  of  science  and  the  labours  of  art — were  all  in 
volved  in  one  general  conflagration  by  the  torch  of 
the  invading  foe !  And  the  disciplined  Vandals  of 
Europe,  who  had  perpetrated  these  outrages,  together 
with  an  immense  swarm  r>*om  the  same  hive,  by  the 
way  of  the  West  Indies,  were  advancing  upon  New 
Orleans,  with  a  watchword  that  proclaimed  to  a  brutal 
soldiery  that  the  wealth  of  the  city,  and  the  wives  and 
daughters  of  its  inhabitants,  should  be  given  up  to  the 
ravaging  cupidity  and  despoiling  lust  of  the  victors.* 

General  Jackson  was  at  first  uncertain  with  respect 
to  the  operations  of  the  enemy ;  but  he  soon  saw  that 
the  city  of  New  Orleans,  from  its  wealth,  its  important 
position,  its  exposed  situation,  and  the  reported  disaf 
fection  of  a  large  part  of  its  population,  would  be  se 
lected  as  the  point  of  attack.  Information  received 
by  the  general  during  the  progress  of  the  operations 
in. Florida,  had  represented  the  West  Indian  arma 
ment  to  be  in  a  state  of  forwardness  which  indicated 
an  early  movement.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  he  had 
provided  for  the  security  of  Mobile,  he  determined  to 
proceed  to  the  capital  of  Louisiana.  The  fact  that 
there  was  no  general  officer  in  the  United  States  ser- 

*  Lewis's  Eulogy. 
23 


290  NEW   ORLEANS. 

vice  in  his  district  to  whom  he  could  commit  the 
command  of  the  eastern  portion  of  it,  delayed  his 
journey  for  a  time.  On  the  22d  of  November,  how 
ever,  Brigadier-General  Winchester  arrived  in  the 
Alabama,  and  Jackson  started  for  New  Orleans.  Ge 
neral  Coffee,  and  Colonel  Hinds  of  the  Mississippi  dra 
goons,  were  ordered  to  proceed  to  a  point  near  to  the 
city,  where  they  could  be  ready  to  march  to  its  defence 
at  the  shortest  notice.  On  the  1st  of  December  Gene 
ral  Jackson  arrived  in  the  city,  which  he  found  wholly 
unprepared  for  defence,  and  many  of  its  inhabitants, 
including  not  a  few  high  in  office,  disinclined  to  assist 
him  in  his  efforts  to  protect  it.  Fortunately,  in  Go 
vernor  Claiborne,  the  executive  of  Louisiana,  Jackson 
possessed  a  devoted  and  efficient  auxiliary,  who  imme 
diately  entered  upon  his  arduous  task  with  a  deter 
mination  that  want  of  success  should  not  be  owing  to 
any  dereliction  on  his  part. 

The  attention  of  the  general  had  been  directed  to 
the  condition  of  New  Orleans  ever  since  his  appoint 
ment  to  the  command  of  the  military  district  in  which 
it  was  situated.  The  difficulties  which  presented 
themselves  to  the  successful  defence  of  this  important 
point,  would  have  filled  with  despair  a  mind  less  vigor 
ous  and  self-confident.  The  principal  of  these  were, 
the  disaffection  which  was  too  rife  among  the  popula 
tion,  the  facility  of  access  to  the  city,  and  the  absence 
of  sufficient  forces  to  defend  it.  Louisiana,  at  the 
time  of  its  purchase  by  the  United  States,  only  three 
years  previously,  was  peopled  almost  exclusively  by 
Frenchmen  and  their  descendants.  A  much  smaller 
number  of  Spaniards,  and  a  very  few  of  English  or 


DISAFFECTION    OF  THE    INHABITANTS.      291 

American  descent,  completed  the  number.     After  it 
became  a  member  of  the  American  union,  the  Anglo- 
American  population  became  more  numerous ;  but  at 
the  time  of  which  we  speak,  they  were  far  inferior  in 
number  to  the  French.     Besides  the  classes  we  have 
enumerated,  there  were  very  many  foreigners  of  other 
nations,  among  whom  were  numerous  subjects  of  the 
British  crown,  whom  the  desire  of  gain  had  drawn 
thither.     But  a  small  portion  of  the  whole  number  of 
inhabitants  had  been  born  on  the  soil ;  and  it  could 
scarcely  be  expected  that  those  whose  first  breath  had 
been  drawn  in  foreign  lands,  whose  every  association 
was  repugnant  to  American  habits,  and  whose  preju 
dices  were  against  the   peculiar  institutions  of  the 
country  in  which  they  lived,  would  be  willing  to  peril 
their  lives  in  support  of  them.     But  the  disaffection 
of  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Louisiana   was  not 
merely  a  vision   of  the   imagination.     Facts  which 
could  not  be  misunderstood  came  to  the  knowledge 
of  General  Jackson,  proving  that  there  were  many  in 
the  state  who  would  not  only  refuse  to  aid  in  its  de 
fence,  but  would  even  be  willing  to  aid  the  enemy  that 
threatened  it  with  all  the  horrors  of  a  hostile  invasion. 
It  was  by  this  class  that  information  was  constantly 
conveyed  to  the  British  of  the  movements,  and,  as  far 
as  was  possible,  of  the  intentions  of  the  American 
general.     To  prevent  this,  Jackson  at  an  early  period 
prohibited  all  communication  between  Pensacola  and 
New  Orleans ;  but  he  was  never  able  to  prevent  the 
enemy  from  receiving  accurate  intelligence  of  every 
event  of  importance  which  transpired  in  the  city  or 
camp. 


292  NEW   ORLEANS. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  from  these  remarks  that 
the  French  inhabitants  of  Louisiana  refused  to  respond 
to  the  call  of  the  country  in  the  hour  of  her  peril.  The 
great  body  of  that  class,  which  comprised  the  oldest 
and  wealthiest  families  in  the  state,  entered  warmly 
into  the  measures  taken  by  the  military  and  civil  au 
thorities  to  preserve  the  integrity  of  their  territory. 

On  the  15th  of  September,  shortly  after  the  hostile 
designs  of  the  British  government  upon  Louisiana  be 
came  known,  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  New  Orleans 
was  held,  who  resolved  to  support  to  the  extent  of 
their  ability  the  authority  of  the  government,  and  the 
honour  of  the  American  arms.  A  committee  of  safety 
was  appointed  to  co-operate  with  and  assist  the  go 
vernor  in  the  execution  of  such  measures  as  might 
be  deemed  expedient  for  the  defence  of  the  city.  This 
committee  addressed  their  fellow-citizens  in  the  fol 
lowing  patriotic  strain : 

"  Fellow-Citizens  !  Named  by  a  numerous  assembly 
of  the  citizens  of  New  Orleans  to  aid  the  constituted 
authorities  in  devising  the  most  certain  means  of 

o 

guarding  against  the  dangers  which  threatened  you, 
our  first  duty  is  to  apprise  you  of  the  extent  of  those 
dangers.  Your  open  enemy  is  attacking  you  from 
without,  and  by  means  of  his  vile  agents  dispersed 
through  the  country,  endeavours  to  excite  to  insurrec 
tion  a  more  cruel  and  dangerous  one  in  the  midst 
of  you. 

"Fellow-Citizens!  The  most  perfect  union  is  neces 
sary  among  all  the  individuals  which  compose  our 
community ;  all  have  an  equal  interest  in  yielding  a 
full  and  free  obedience  to  their  magistrates  and  officers, 


ADDRESS    OF    THE    COMMITTEE.  295 

and  in  forwarding  their  views  for  the  public  good — all 
have  not  only  their  property,  but  their  very  existence 
at  stake ;  you  have,  through  your  representatives  in 
the  convention,  contracted  the  solemn  obligation  of 
becoming  an  integral  part  of  the  United  States  of 
America ;  by  this  measure  you  secured  your  own  so 
vereignty,  and  acquired  the  invaluable  blessing  of  in 
dependence.  God  forbid  that  we  should  believe  that 
there  are  any  among  us  disposed  to  fail  in  the  sacred 
duties  required  by  fidelity  and  honour.  A  just  idea 
of  the  geographical  situation  of  your  country  will  con 
vince  you  that  your  safety,  and  in  a  greater  degree 
your  prosperity,  depends  on  your  being  irrevocably 
and  faithfully  attached  to  a  union  with  the  other  states ; 
but  if  there  exist  among  you  men  base  and  mad  enough 
to  undervalue  their  duties  and  their  true  interest — let 
them  tremble  on  considering  the  dreadful  evils  they 
will  bring  down  upon  themselves  and  upon  us,  if  by 
their  criminal  indifference  they  favour  the  enterprises 
of  the  enemy  against  our  beloved  country. 

"  Fellow-citizens !  The  navigation  of  the  Mississippi 
is  as  necessary  to  two  millions  of  our  western  brethren, 
as  the  blood  is  to  the  pulsation  of  the  heart — those 
brave  men  closely  attached  to  the  union,  will  never 
suffer,  whatever  seducing  offers  may  be  made  to  them 
— they  will  never  suffer  the  state  of  Louisiana  to  be 
subject  to  a  foreign  power ;  and  should  the  events  of 
war  enable  the  enemy  to  occupy  it,  they  will  make 
every  sacrifice  to  recover  a  country  so  necessary  to 
their  existence.  A  war  ruinous  to  you  would  be  the 
consequence ;  the  enemy  to  whom  you  would  have  had 

the  weakness  to  yield,  would  subject  you  to  a  military 
23* 


296  NEW   ORLEANS. 

cbspotism,  of  all  others  the  most  dreadful;  your  es 
tates,  your  slaves,  your  persons  would  be  put  in  requi 
sition,  and  you  would  be  forced  at  the  point  of  the 
bayonet  to  fight  against  those  very  men  whom  you 
have  voluntarily  chosen  for  fellow-citizens  and  brethren. 
Beloved  countrymen :  listen  to  the  men  honoured  by 
vour  confidence,  and  who  will  endeavour  to  merit  it ; 
listen  to  the  voice  of  honour,  of  duty,  and  of  nature ; 
unite !  form  one  body,  one  soul,  and  defend  to  the 
last  extremity  your  sovereignty,  your  property — de 
fend  your  own  lives,  and  the  dearer  existence  of  your 
wives  and  children." 

Notwithstanding  this  appeal  from  some  of  the 
oldest  and  most  influential  citizens ;  notwithstanding 
every  exertion  of  the  governor ;  a  large  part  of  the 
population  refused  to  enter  the  ranks,  or  contribute  in 
any  way  to  the  defence  of  the  state.  Governor  Clai- 
borne,  with  whom  Jackson  maintained  a  constant  cor 
respondence,  saw  clearly  the  extent  of  the  evil,  and 
used  all  his  influence  to  engage  his  fellow-citizens  on 
the  side  of  their  country.  On  the  8th  of  September, 
previous  to  the  meeting  which  we  have  mentioned,  he 
issued  a  general  order,  directing  the  military  compa 
nies  of  the  city  to  be  mustered  for  inspection  and 
exercise  twice,  and  those  in  the  country  at  least  once  in 
each  week.  Having  recapitulated  the  evident  indica 
tions  of  an  invasion,  he  exhorted  every  citizen  to  be  pre 
pared  and  determined  at  all  times  and  at  every  hazard 
to  do  his  duty.  The  militia  were  particularly  enjoined 
to  look  to  the  condition  of  their  arms,  and  to  provide 
themselves  with  ammunition  and  the  necessary  camp 
clothing;  and  all  were  ordered  to  communicate  to 


CLAIBORNE'S    ORDER.  297 

their  superior  officers  every  information  concerning 
the  movements  or  designs  of  foreign  or  domestic 
enemies.  "  The  intrigues,"  proceeded  the  order,  "  the 
means  of  corruption  hy  which  in  other  countries  our 
enemy  has  so  much  profited,  will  doubtless  be  at 
tempted  here.  But  his  character  is  well  understood, 
and  it  is  hoped  that  his  arts  will  not  avail  him.  In 
defence  of  our  homes  and  families  there  surely  will  be 
but  one  opinion — one  sentiment.  The  American 
citizen,  on  contrasting  his  situation  with  that  of  the 
citizen  or  subject  of  any  other  country  on  earth,  will 
see  abundant  cause  to  be  content  with  his  destiny. 
He  must  be  aware  how  little  he  can  gain  and  how 
much  he  must  lose  by  a  revolution  or  a  change  of 
government." 

The  drafts  which  were  made  upon  the  militia  were 
very  scantily  supplied ;  many  individuals  refusing  to 
serve  after  having  been  drafted.  Many  Frenchmen, 
having  given  their  adhesion  to  Louis  XVIIL,  refused 
to  comply  with  the  requisitions  of  the  governor,  and 
claimed  the  protection  of  the  French  consul.  Not 
withstanding  these  defections,  however,  there  still  re 
mained  a  number  of  loyal  citizens,  who  obeyed  with 
alacrity  the  call  of  the  governor,  and  enrolled  them 
selves  in  military  companies.  The  free  men  of  colour, 
a  numerous  class  in  New  Orleans,  the  greater  part  of 
whom  were  natives  of  St.  Domingo,  manifested  a  warm 
attachment  to  their  adopted  country.  Being  informed 
of  the  favourable  dispositions  of  this  class,  General 
Jackson  issued  a  proclamation  on  the  21st  of  Septem 
ber,  calling  upon  them,  as  sons  of  freedom,  to  defend 
this,  their  most  inestimable  blessing.  "As  Ameri- 
38 


298  NEW   ORLEANS. 

cans/'  he  continues,  "  your  country  looks  with  confi 
dence  to  her  adopted  children  for  a  valorous  support, 
as  a  faithful  return  for  the  advantages  enjoyed  under 
her  mild  and  equitable  government.  As  fathers,  hus 
bands,  and  brothers,  you  are  summoned  to  rally  round 
the  standard  of  the  eagle,  to  defend  all  which  is  dear 
in  existence."  *  *  *  "  Due  regard  will  be  paid  to 
the  feelings  of  freemen  and  soldiers.  You  will  not, 
by  being  associated  with  white  men  in  the  same  corps, 
be  exposed  to  improper  comparisons  or  unjust  sar 
casm.  As  a  distinct,  independent  battalion  or  regi 
ment,  pursuing  the  path  of  glory,  you  will,  undivided, 
receive  the  applause  and  gratitude  of  your  country 
men."  A  battalion  was  formed  pursuant  to  this  pro 
clamation,  and  placed  under  the  command  of  Major 
Daquin,  a  highly  respectable  citizen  of  New  Orleans. 
This  corps  formed  an  efficient  part  of  General  Jack 
son's  army,  and  distinguished  itself  highly  in  the 
actions  of  the  23d  of  December  and  8th  of  January. 
That  the  exposed  situation  of  New  Orleans  may 
be  rendered  perfectly  intelligible,  we  will  give  a  short 
description  of  the  geography  of  the  city  and  vicinity. 
New  Orleans  is  built  upon  a  low  piece  of  ground,  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river  Mississippi,  about  one  hun 
dred  miles  from  its  mouths.  The  course  of  the  river 
below  New  Orleans  is  nearly  southeast,  flowing 
through  a  low  country,  much  of  which  is  swampy 
and  covered  with  cypress  trees.  Notwithstanding  its 
distance  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  New  Orleans  is 
far  from  being  an  inland  town,  being  approached 
within  thirteen  miles  on  the  eastward  by  an  arm  of 
the  sea  called  Lake  Borgne.  This  lake  is  of  consi- 


GEOGRAPHICAL    SITUATION.  299 

derable  extent,  but  too  shallow  to  permit  the  entrance 
of  large  vessels.  To  the  northwest  of  Lake  Borgne, 
and  communicating  with  it,  is  Lake  Pontchartrain, 
which  extends  some  distance  beyond  the  city.  These 
lakes  are  connected  by  a  narrow  passage  about  four 
miles  long,  called  the  Chef-Menteur.  The  narrowest 
part  of  this  passage  was  defended  by  the  fort  of  Pe- 
tites  Coquilles.  Near  the  western  extremity  of  Lake 
Borgne  it  is  joined  by  a  small  river,  called  the  Bayou 
Bienvenu,  which  drains  the  basin  immediately  below 
the  city.  This  bayou  communicated  with  a  canal 
passing  through  the  plantation  of  Major-General  Vil- 
lere  to  the  Mississippi.  Stretching  from  the  entrance 
of  Lake  Borgne  to  the  opening  of  Mobile  bay,  is  a 
chain  of  small  islands.  The  westernmost  of  these  is 
called  Cat  Island.  Ship  Island,  Dog  Island,  the  Isle  a 
Corne,  and  Dauphine  Island,  are  the  principal  in  the 
chain.  The  latter  is  situated  near  the  mouth  of  Mo 
bile  bay,  and  was  the  rendezvous  of  the  British  after 
the  campaign  against  New  Orleans. 

The  geographical  situation  of  the  city  thus  offered 
two  avenues  for  the  approach  of  an  enemy :  the  river 
Mississippi,  and  the  lakes  Borgne  and  Pontchartrain. 
For  the  defence  of  the  river  a  fort  had  been  erected 
by  the  French  at  the  Balize ;  but  it  had  long  since 
fallen  into  ruins.  At  the  Detour  Plaquemines,  sixty 
miles  below  the  city,  was  a  work  called  Fort  St.  Philip, 
which  was  wholly  insufficient  for  the  defence  of  the 
stream ;  but  which  might  with  little  labour  be  rendered 
almost  impassable  to  a  hostile  armament.  On  the 
right  bank  of  the  river,  opposite  Fort  St.  Philip,  there 
had  formerly  been  a  fortification  named  Fort  Bourbon ; 


300  NEW   ORLEANS. 

but  it  also  was  in  ruins.  Before  the  departure  of 
General  Jackson  from  Mobile,  he  had  directed  Colonel 
Hayne,  the  inspector-general,  to  ascertain  the  state 
of  the  river  defences,  and  where  effectual  resistance 
could  be  made.  The  colonel  reported  that  the  re-es 
tablishment  of  the  post  at  the  Balize  would  be  useless, 
as  it  would  not  command  the  river  sufficiently  to  pre 
vent  the  passage  of  an  enemy's  fleet;  but  that  Fort 
St.  Philip  afforded  every  facility  for  defence.  It  was 
situated  in  a  bend  of  the  river,  commanding  the  chan 
nel  for  a  considerable  distance  below.  The  turn  of 
the  stream  forms  a  point  of  land  below  the  fort,  on  the 
opposite  side,  which  being  covered  with  timber,  would 
mask  an  approaching  vessel.  This  wood  was  ordered 
to  be  cut  down,  that  the  fire  of  the  fort  might  range 
across  the  point.  At  the  site  of  Fort  Bourbon  a  bat 
tery  was  commenced  which  would  place  an  ascending 
force  between  two  fires.  Other  batteries  were  to  be 
constructed  on  the  same  side  as  St.  Philip,  but  consi 
derably  above  -,  and  by  these  different  works  the  river 
would  be  commanded  for  nearly  two  miles.  Should 
a  hostile  force  succeed  in  passing  Fort  St.  Philip,  it 
was  believed  that  it  could  be  stopped  at  the  English 
turn,  about  twelve  miles  below  the  city.  The  bend  of 
the  river  here  was  even  greater  than  at  Plaquemines, 
and  was  also  strongly  fortified. 

Unfortunately,  the  defences  of  the  other  great  ave 
nue  of  approach  were  far  less  adequate  to  the  purpose 
for  which  they  were  required.  The  passage  between 
the  lakes  Borgne  and  Pontchartrain  was,  as  has  been 
stated,  defended  by  a  battery  at  Petites  Coquilles: 
and  it  was  supposed  to  be  sufficiently  strong  to  repel 


JACKSON'S    MILITARY    FORCE.  301 

any  attack  which  could  be  made  upon  it.  But  the 
entrance  to  Lake  Borgne,  impassable  indeed  to  large 
vessels,  but  readily  accessible  to  those  of  light  draught, 
was  secured  only  by  five  gun-boats.  This  force,  how 
ever,  was  supposed  to  be  capable  of  repulsing  an  at 
tack  by  boats,  in  which  alone  the  enemy  would  be 
able  to  reach  them.  To  render  the  approach  by  Lake 
Borgne  more  difficult,  numerous  parties  of  militia  were 
sent  out  to  cut  down  trees,  and  throw  them  across  the 
small  bayous  which  might  afford  a  landing-place,  and 
to  obstruct  as  much  as  possible,  every  channel  by 
which  the  enemy  might  reach  the  land.  It  was  gene 
rally  expected  that  they  would  attempt  to  reach  the 
city  by  the  Mississippi  river ;  but  if  they  should  take 
the  other  route,  the  general  believed  that  the  defences 
were  sufficiently  strong  to  keep  them  at  bay. 

But  by  far  the  greatest  difficulty  which  presented 
itself  to  the  American  general  was  the  want  of  suffi 
cient  military  force.  The  army  which  he  had  brought 
from  Mobile  consisted  only  of  Coffee's  Tennessee 
volunteers,  Hinds'  company  of  cavalry,  and  the  7th 
and  44th  regiments,  amounting  to  about  fifteen  hun 
dred  men.  The  city  volunteers  added  three  hundred, 
and  the  battalion  of  men  of  colour,  two  hundred; 
making  a  total,  with  the  troops  in  garrison  at  Fort  St. 
Philip,  of  only  two  thousand  five  hundred  men.  This 
force  all  saw  to  be  wholly  incompetent  to  the  defence 
of  a  city  so  exposed  against  a  veteran  army  of  many 
times  its  number,  aided  by  the  powerful  naval  force 
which  the  British  had  assembled  in  the  West  Indies 
for  this  expedition.  To  remedy  the  deficiency,  General 
Jackson  made  every  effort,  in  which  he  was  nobly 


302  NEW   ORLEANS. 

seconded  by  the  executives  of  Kentucky,  Tennessee, 
and  Louisiana.  By  a  circular  letter  of  the  secretary 
of  war,  dated  July  4th,  1814,  directing  the  governors 
of  the  several  states  to  hold  in  readiness  their  quotas 
of  an  army  of  ninety-three  thousand  five  hundred 
men,  Kentucky  was  directed  to  raise  five  thousand 
five  hundred,  Tennessee  two  thousand  five  hundred, 
and  Louisiana  one  thousand.  On  the  6th  of  August, 
in  pursuance  of  this  letter,  Governor  Claiborne  of 
Louisiana  issued  a  general  order,  apportioning  the 
quota  assigned  to  the  state  between  the  two  divisions 
of  militia;  and  he  subsequently  exerted  himself  ac 
tively  to  fill  the  •  ranks.  The  number  required,  how 
ever,  was  never  obtained ;  the  whole  number  of  Lou- 
isianians  in  the  army  of  General  Jackson  being  less 
than  nine  hundred. 

The  venerable  and  patriotic  Shelby,  governor  of 
Kentucky,  responded  to  the  orders  of  the  secretary, 
and  the  urgent  requests  of  Jackson,  by  immediately 
organizing  his  quota  of  men,  under  the  command  of 
Major-General  Thomas.  The  quarter-master's  de 
partment  being  unable  to  furnish  the  supplies  necessary 
for  the  men,  several  private  individuals  contributed 
from  their  own  property  sufficient  funds  to  enable  the 
detachment  to  commence  its  progress  down  the  Ohio 
river.  Unfortunately,  the  most  strenuous  endeavours 
could  not  obtain  arms  sufficient  for  the  division. 
Owing  to  the  drain  caused  by  the  northern  campaigns, 
firearms  of  all  descriptions  were  exceedingly  scarce  in 
Kentucky;  and  many  of  the  men  were  obliged  to  pro 
ceed  without  arms,  in  the  hope  that  they  would  be 
able  to  procure  them  on  their  arrival  at  the  camp. 


TENNESSEE    TROOPS. 


303 


Embarkation  of  the  Tennessee  troops. 


Major-General  Carroll,  whose  gallantry  we  have 
before  had  occasion  to  notice,  was  appointed  to  the 
command  of  the  force  to  be  drawn  from  Tennessee. 
On  the  19th  of  December,  his  division  rendezvoused 
at  Nashville ;  and  on  the  27th,  the  last  of  them  em 
barked  for  New  Orleans.  On  the  voyage  down  the 
Mississippi,  Carroll  seized  every  opportunity  to  instruct 
his  men  in  military  evolutions,  and  render  them  fa 
miliar  with  the  manoeuvres  of  the  field.  In  this  man 
ner,  they  improved  considerably  in  military  knowledge, 
and  became  used  to  concert  of  action.  They  were 
still,  however,  far  from  being  equal  to  the  veteran  sol 
diers  which  the  enemy  was  about  to  bring  against 
them. 

On  the  day  of  his  arrival  at  New  Orleans,  General 
24 


304 


NEW    ORLEANS. 


Jackson  descending  the  Mississippi  to  examine  the  fortifications. 


Jackson  reviewed  the  city  battalion  of  volunteer  com 
panies,  whose  good  appearance  and  skill  in  military 
evolutions  gave  him  great  satisfaction.  His  appear 
ance  re-animated  the  spirits  of  the  patriotic  citizens, 
who  had  begun  to  despair  of  success.  The  fame  of 
his  victories  in  the  west  had  reached  their  ears,  and 
his  known  firmness  and  acknowledged  military  skill 
filled  them  with  hope  and  confidence.  The  effect  of 
this  change  was  seen  in  the  increased  activity  with 
which  the  warlike  preparations  were  carried  on,  the 
accessions  to  the  ranks  of  the  militia  and  volunteers, 
and  the  cheerful  air  which  every  countenance  wore 
after  his  arrival.  He  immediately  entered  upon  the 


THE    CITY    FORTIFIED. 


305 


Fortifying  of  New  Orleans. 


arduous  task  of  preparing  to  meet  an  enemy  whose 
force  was  known  to  be  greatly  superior,  and  whose 
troops  were  flushed  with  recent  victory  over  the 
bravest  soldiers  of  Europe.  Two  days  after  reach 
ing  the  city,  he  proceeded  down  the  Mississippi,  to 
examine  in  person  the  fortifications  upon  which  its 
defence  depended.  He  ordered  several  additional 
pieces  of  cannon  to  be  mounted  in  Fort  St.  Philip,  and 
directed  that  the  batteries  by  which  it  was  to  be  flanked 
should  be  immediately  constructed.  Having  taken 
the  necessary  measures  for  executing  his  plans,  he 
returned  to  New  Orleans  on  the  9th  of  December, 
and  proceeded  at  once  on  a  similar  tour  of  inspection 
to  the  lakes.  Having  ordered  the  erection  of  a  bat 
tery  at  the  confluence  of  the  river  Chef-Menteur  and 
39 


306  NEW    ORLEANS. 

the  Bayou  Sauvage,  he  returned  to  the  city.  He 
communicated  to  the  governor  the  measures  he  had 
taken  for  the  defence  of  the  river,  and  invited  the 
co-operation  of  the  members  of  the  legislature,  to 
complete  the  fortifications  as  soon  as  possible.  For 
this  purpose  he  suggested  that  the  planters  should 
furnish  negro  labourers,  without  compensation :  the 
security  of  their  slaves  depending  entirely  upon  the 
success  of  the  defenders  of  the  country.  Pursuant  to 
this  recommendation,  the  legislature  authorized  Go 
vernor  Claiborne  to  call  into  the  public  service  the 
negroes  of  the  parishes  of  Plaquemines,  St.  Bernard, 
St.  Charles,  and  St.  John  Baptist,  and  to  employ  them 
upon  the  fortifications  of  the  river. 

The  naval  forces  stationed  at  New  Orleans,  con 
sisting  of  six  gun-boats  and  several  small  vessels,  were 
commanded  by  Commodore  Daniel  T.  Patterson. 
Five  gun-boats  and  two  tenders  were  stationed  upon 
the  lakes,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Thomas 
Ap-Catesby  Jones.  Early  in  December  Commodore 
Patterson  received  an  anonymous  communication, 
dated  at  Pensacola,  December  5th,  informing  him  of 
the  presence  of  a  large  British  fleet,  numbering  about 
eighty  vessels,  off  that  port ;  and  stating  that  a  much 
greater  number  were  momentarily  expected.  On  the 
arrival  of  the  remainder  of  the  armament,  offensive 
operations  were  to  be  commenced  immediately  against 
New  Orleans.  On  receiving  this  intelligence,  Lieu 
tenant  Jones  was  ordered  to  reconnoitre  the  enemy, 
and  retreat  at  his  approach  to  the  Rigolets,  where  he 
was  to  defend  himself  to  the  last  extremity.  The 
lieutenant  detached  gun-boats  Nos.  23  and  163,  com- 


RECONNOISS  ANCES.  307 


British  fleet  off  Pensacoli 


manded  by  Lieutenant  M'Keever  and  Sailing-Master 
Ulrick,  to  Dauphine  Island.  On  the  9th  of  December 
these  officers  discovered  two  of  the  enemy's  vessels 
at  sea,  steering  westward  towards  the  entrance  of 
Lake  Borgne.  The  gun-boats  immediately  made  sail, 
and  kept  on  the  same  course  as  the  enemy,  under 
shelter  of  the  island,  until  nightfall.  The  enemy's 
vessels  having  anchored,  the  gun-boats  rejoined  the 
flotilla.  Apprehending  a  night  attack,  the  vessels 
were  kept  under  sail  all  night.  When  day  broke,  a 
numerous  fleet  was  seen  at  anchor  between  Cat  and 
Ship  islands. 

The  flotilla  then  proceeded  to  the  pass  Mariana, 
where  it  anchored.  The  following  day  was  occupied  in 
putting  the  gun-boats  in  the  best  condition  for  defence ; 
and  on  the  12th  the  enemy  were  reconnoitred  from 
the  eastern  extremity  of  Cat  Island.  The  hostile  force 
was  discovered  to  be  considerably  increased  since  its 
first  appearance ;  and  on  the  13th  Lieutenant  Jones 
24* 


308  NEW   ORLEANS. 

deemed  it  prudent  to  retire  to  the  bay  of  St.  Louis. 
At  ten  A.  M.,  a  large  flotilla  of  barges  was  discovered 
making  for  the  pass  Christiana.  This  was  supposed 
to  be  a  debarkation  of  troops ;  but  the  barges  con 
tinuing  their  course  to  the  westward  after  gaining  the 
pass  Christiana,  Lieutenant  Jones  was  convinced  that 
they  intended  to  attack  him.  He  attempted  to  make 
sail ;  but  found  the  depth  of  water,  owing  to  the  long 
continuance  of  westerly  winds,  and  the  lowness  of  the 
tide,  insufficient  to  float  a  part  of  his  squadron.  After 
great  exertions,  the  tide  having  begun  to  rise,  he  suc 
ceeded  in  getting  under  weigh,  and  made  sail  for 
Petites  Coquilles. 

At  a  quarter  before  four  P.  M.  the  enemy  sent 
seven  barges  to  cut  out  the  Seahorse,  which  had  been 
sent  into  the  bay  of  St.  Louis  to  remove  some  public 
stores  deposited  there.  The  barges  were  repulsed 
with  loss  :  but  Mr.  Johnson,  who  commanded  the  Sea 
horse,  knowing  his  inability  to  defend  her  against  the 
whole  force  of  the  enemy,  and  prevented  by  them  from 
rejoining  the  gun-boats,  blew  up  his  vessel,  and  set 
fire  to  the  public  property  on  shore.  The  gun-boats 
proceeded  until  one  A.  M.  on  the  14th,  when  the  wind 
died  away,  and  they  were  obliged  to  anchor  in  the 
western  extremity  of  the  passage  behind  Malheureux 
Island.  The  dawn  of  day  disclosed  the  enemy  at  an 
chor  about  nine  miles  distant.  They  soon  advanced 
towards  the  gun-boats,  which  were  prevented  by  the 
perfect  calm  and  a  strong  counter  current  from  re 
treating.  Unable  to  avoid  an  action,  Lieutenant  Jones 
made  his  dispositions  very  judiciously.  The  vessels 


GUN-BOAT    ACTION.  309 


Blowing  up  of  the  Seahorse. 

were  anchored  by  the  stern,  with  springs  upon  their 
cables,  in  a  line  across  the  passage. 

Having  captured  the  tender  Alligator,  with  one 
four-pounder  and  eight  men,  the  enemy  continued  to 
advance  until  they  were-  just  out  of  gun-shot,  when 
they  came  to,  for  a  short  time,  to  allow  their  men  to 
get  their  breakfasts.  At  half-past  ten,  they  again 
came  on.  Unfortunately,  gun-boats  156  and  163  had 
been  forced  from  their  anchorage  by  the  current,  and 
drifted  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  in  advance  of  the 
line.  The  squadron  fired  upon  the  enemy  as  they 
advanced,  and  at  ten  minutes  before  eleven  they  re 
turned  the  fire  from  their  whole  line.  The  contest 
now  became  spirited  and  obstinate.  Repeated  attempts 
were  made  to  board  No.  156,  which  were  as  often 
beaten  off,  until  Lieutenant  Jones  being  severely 
wounded,  and  nearly  all  his  crew  disabled,  at  ten 
minutes  past  twelve,  superior  numbers  prevailed,  and 


310  NEW  ORLEANS. 

the  British  succeeded  in  gaining  her  deck.  Her  guns 
were  immediately  turned  upon  the  remaining  vessels, 
which  were  carried,  but  not  till  many  of  the  enemy's 
boats  were  sunk,  and  a  great  number  of  officers  and 
men  killed  and  wounded.  At  twenty  minutes  before 
one  P.  M.,  the  battle  ended  by  the  surrender  of 
No.  23. 

The  conduct  of  the  Americans  in  this  engagement 
well  deserved  the  high  commendation  which  the  nation 
lavished  upon  the  brave  men  who  composed  their  force. 
Against  an  immense  superiority  of  numbers  and  force, 
unable  to  manoeuvre  their  vessels,  and  exposed  to  a 
severe  fire,  they  maintained  the  contest  for  more  than 
two  hours,  and  only  surrendered  when  the  enemy  had 
gained  their  decks,  and  overpowered  them  by  numbers. 
The  whole  number  of  guns  in  the  five  American  ves 
sels  was  23,  and  of  men  one  hundred  and  eighty-three. 
The  British  force  consisted  of  twelve  hundred  men,  in 
forty-five  boats,  mounting  43#pieces  of  cannon.  They 
lost  several  boats  sunk,  and  at  least  three  hundred  men, 
including  many  officers,  killed  or  wounded ;  while  the 
American  loss  in  men  was  but  six  killed  and  thirty- 
five  wounded.  Lieutenants  Jones,  M'Keever  and 
Fodder,  and  Sailing-Master  Parker,  were  all  severely 
wounded  before  their  flags  were  struck. 

When  the  intelligence  of  the  capture  of  the  gun 
boats  was  communicated  to  General  Jackson,  it  caused 
him  to  feel  great  anxiety  for  the  safety  of  Mobile. 
The  importance  of  this  post  as  the  key  to  the  Indian 
territory  was  very  great,  and  Jackson  had  done  all 
that  his  circumstances  allowed  to  secure  it  against 
any  attack  of  the  British.  Upon  the  gun-boats  he 


COMMODORE    PATTERSON.  311 

had  relied  principally  for  the  protection  of  the  channels 
by  which  the  rear  of  Fort  Bowyer  might  be  gained ; 
and  their  loss,  and  the  consequent  increase  of  the 
available  force  of  the  enemy,  caused  much  chagrin. 
He  immediately  informed  General  Winchester,  at 
Mobile,  of  the  event,  and  ordered  him  to  defend  Mo 
bile  Point  at  all  hazards ;  impressing  upon  his  mind, 
at  the  same  time,  the  immense  injury  which  would 
accrue  to  the  American  arms  by  its  loss. 

Commodore  Patterson,  after  officially  informing 
the  governor  of  the  loss  of  the  squadron,  requested 
the  legislature  to  take  some  steps  to  procure  a  suffi 
cient  number  of  sailors  to  man  the  vessels  upon  the 
river,  intended  for  the  defence  of  New  Orleans.  In 
compliance  with  his  request,  a  law  was  passed  by 
which  six  thousand  dollars  was  appropriated  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  bounties  to  sailors,  to  enlist  in  the 
United  States  service.  In  this  manner,  and  by  laying 
a  temporary  embargo  upon  the  vessels  in  port,  a  suf 
ficient  number  of  seamen  were  obtained  to  man  the 
ship  Louisiana,  and  the  schooner  Carolina,  which  af 
terwards  did  great  service. 

On  the  15th,  perceiving  that  the  British  would  pro 
bably  succeed  in  landing,  having  entire  command  of 
Lake  Borgne,  General  Jackson  sent  expresses  to  Ge 
nerals  Coffee,  Carroll,  and  Thomas,  to  hasten  their 
approach.  General  Coffee,  who  had  been  previously 
ordered  to  take  a  station  whence  he  might  without 
delay  reach  New  Orleans,  had  advanced  to  Sandy 
Creek,  near  Baton  Rouge.  He  arrived  there,  after  a 
tedious  and  difficult  march,  about  the  8th  of  December. 
Jackson  ordered  him  to  repair  immediately  to  New 


312  NEW    ORLEANS. 

Orleans.  On  the  18th,  the  New  Orleans  and  Louisiana 
volunteers  and  militia,  who  had  been  regularly  mus 
tered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States,  were  re 
viewed  by  the  general,  on  their  respective  parades. 
He  addressed  each  corps  in  language  calculated  to 
arouse  all  their  ardour  and  patriotism,  and  to  fill  them 
with  a  wish  to  meet  the  enemy. 

"  Fellow-citizens  and  soldiers !"  said  he  to  the  mi 
litia,  "  the  general  commanding  in  chief  would  not  do 
justice  to  the  noble  ardour  that  has  animated  you  in 
the  hour  of  danger,  he  would  not  do  justice  to  his  own 
feelings,  if  he  suffered  the  example  you  have  shown  to 
pass  without  public  notice.  Inhabitants  of  aft  opulent 
commercial  town,  you  have  by  a  spontaneous  effort 
shaken  off  the  habits  which  are  created  by  wealth, 
and  shown  that  you  are  resolved  to  deserve  the  bless 
ings  of  fortune  by  bravely  defending  them.  Long 
strangers  to  the  perils  of  war,  you  have  embodied 
yourselves  to  face  them  with  the  cool  countenance  of 
veterans — and  with  motives  of  disunion  that  might 
operate  on  weak  minds,  you  have  forgotten  the  dif 
ferences  of  language  and  prejudice  of  national  pride, 
and  united  with  a  cordiality  that  does  honour  to  your 
understandings  as  well  as  to  your  patriotism. 

"  Natives  of  the  United  States !  They  are  the  op 
pressors  of  your  infant  political  existence  with  whom 
you  are  to  contend — they  are  the  men  your  fathers 
fought  and  conquered  whom  you  are  now  to  oppose. 
Descendants  of  Frenchmen !  Natives  of  France ! 
They  are  English  ;  the  hereditary,  the  eternal  enemies 
of  your  ancient  country,  the  invaders  of  that  you  have 
adopted,  who  are  your  foes.  Spaniards !  Remember 


ADDRESS  TO  THE  TROOPS.        315 

the  conduct  of  your  allies  at  St.  Sebastian,  and  re 
cently  at  Pensacola,  and  rejoice  that  you  have  an 
opportunity  of  avenging  the  brutal  injuries  inflicted  by 
men  who  dishonour  the  human  race.  Louisianians  ! 
Your  general  rejoices  to  witness  the  spirit  that  ani 
mates  you,  not  only  for  your  honour,  but  your  safety ; 
for  whatever  had  been  your  conduct  or  wishes,  his 
duty  would  have  led,  and  did  lead  him  to  confound  the 
citizen  unmindful  of  his  rights,  with  the  enemy  he 
ceases  to  oppose.  Commanding  men  who  know  their 
rights  and  are  determined  to  defend  them,  he  salutes 
you  as  brethren  in  arms,  and  has  now  a  new  motive 
to  exert  all  his  faculties,  which  shall  be  strained  to  the 
utmost  in  your  defence.  Continue  with  the  energy 
you  have  begun,  and  he  promises  you  not  only  safety, 
but  victory  over  an  insolent  foe,  w^ho  has  insulted  you 
by  an  affected  doubt  of  your  attachment  to  the  con 
stitution  of  your  country.  Your  enemy  is  near ;  his 
sails  already  cover  the  lakes  :  but  the  brave  are  united ; 
and  if  he  find  us  contending  among  ourselves,  it  will 
be  for  the  prize  of  valour,  and  fame,  its  noblest 
reward." 

The  battalion  of  men  of  colour  he  addressed  thus : 
"  Soldiers :  From  the  shores  of  Mobile  I  collected  you 
to  arms ;  I  invited  you  to  share  in  the  perils,  and  to 
divide  the  glory  of  your  white  countrymen.  I  ex 
pected  much  from  you ;  for  I  was  not  uninformed  of 
those  qualities  which  must  render  you  so  formidable 
to  an  invading  foe.  I  knew  that  you  could  endure 
hunger  and  thirst,  and  all  \the  hardships  of  war.  I 
knew  that  you  loved  the  land  of  your  nativity ;  and 
that,  like  ourselves,  you  had  to  defend  all  that  is  most 


316  NEW   ORLEANS. 

dear  to  man — but  you  surpass  my  hopes.  I  have 
found  in  you,  united  to  those  qualities,  that  noble  en 
thusiasm  which  impels  to  great  deeds," 

The  moments  were  precious.  Since  his  arrival  in 
New  Orleans,  Jackson  had  not  failed  to  make  the 
most  of  his  time.  'Never  was  a  more  wonderful  ac 
tivity  displayed  ;  and  never,  within  so  short  a  period, 
was  order  seen  to  succeed  to  confusion,  confidence  to 
despondency.  The  resources  which  incapacity  never 
finds — because  it  neither  knows  how  to  seek  them 
where  they  already  exist,  nor  to  draw  them  forth 
where  they  may  lie  latent — discovered  and  created  by 
the  combined  power  of  genius  and  perseverance,  rose 
from  all  sides  at  the  bidding  of  the  will  which  sum 
moned  them.  The  Tennessee  militia  under  General 
Carroll,  the  mounted  riflemen  commanded  by  General 
Coffee,  both  generals  of  militia,  had  at  last  arrived. 
The  latter  came  in  a  single  march  from  Baton  Rouge 
to  within  two  leagues  of  New  Orleans,  a  distance  of 
thirty  leagues !  These  troops  had  made  the  campaign 
against  the  Creeks,  and  had  driven  out  the  English 
from  Pensacola.  They  were  volunteers  —  men  of 
family  and  substance.  Patriotism  had  led  them  to  the 
deld ;  honour  alone  kept  them  there  ;  for  no  law  had 
summoned  them.  Jackson  left  them  encamped  only 
a  few  miles  from  the  city.  He  did  not  wish  these  de 
tachments  to  be  counted  ;  it  was  a  part  of  his  policy 
to  exaggerate  his  forces,  to  deceive  the  spies,  and  to 
impose  upon  the  enemy.  Besides,  he  did  not  wish, 
before  the  battles,  to  exhibit  to  a  population  accus 
tomed  to  see  no  other  soldiers  than  those  equipped  in 
military  costume,  these  warriors  of  the  west,  with 


THE    HABEAS    CORPUS.  317 

their  strange  accoutrements  and  their  peculiar  disci 
pline,  suitable  to  their  fashion  of  warfare,  hut  so  little 
in  accordance  with  the  regularity  of  permanent  troops. 
Without,  however,  collecting  his  forces  together, 
Jackson  took  care  to  distribute  them  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  be  readily  able  to  bring  them  in  a  single  mass 
upon  New  Orleans ;  and  to  attack  the  enemy  with  his 
whole  assembled  force  immediately  on  his  disem 
barkation. 

The  Legislature  of  the  state  were  at  this  time  in 
session.  In  order  to  prevent  communications  with 
the  enemy,  and  the  protection  of  spies  and  traitors, 
with  whom  the  country  was  filled,  Jackson  applied  to 
them  to  grant  a  suspension  of  the  habeas  corpus  act. 
After  an  animated  discussion,  the  proposition  was 
rejected.  This  determination  to  leave  undisturbed 
this  popular  remedy,  so  noble  in  itself,  but  susceptible 
of  so  dangerous  a  use  in  the  hands  of  feeble  or  disaf 
fected  magistrates,  disturbed  General  Jackson.  He 
looked  on  the  presence  of  a  deliberative  assembly  in  a 
besieged  city  as  dangerous ;  especially  when  that  as 
sembly  had  not  been  elected  with  a  special  charge  to 
meet  the  crisis  now  existing  or  anticipated.  It  weakens 
the  energy  of  power  by  dividing  it.  If  events  should 
take  an  unfavourable  direction,  it  would  serve  as  a 
means  of  action  to  the  evil-disposed.  The  dema 
gogues  of  disorder  would  make  use  of  it  as  a  pedestal 
on  which  to  raise  themselves,  and  to  scatter  from  a 
higher  elevation  over  the  people  at  large  the  puerile 
alarms  which  agitated  them.  While,  if  the  issue  hung 
long  in  suspense,  it  would  harass  itself  with  the  tor 
ture  of  an  inactive  expectation.  Envy  would  take 
25 


318  NEW    ORLEANS, 

possession  of  little  minds,  which  would  be  annoyed  to 
find  no  longer  fixed  on  them  the  attention  which  the 
nation  always  extends  to  him  who  fights,  in  preference 
to  him  who  merely  speaks  in  its  cause.  Besides,  the 
more  manly  portion  of  that  assembly  had  felt  the  ridi 
cule  of  the  part  they  were  there  made  to  play.  The 
more  generous  spirits  were  unwilling  to  remain  in 
seats  of  inglorious  security,  while  Jackson  was  hold 
ing  open  the  lists  to  all  who  felt  their  hearts  thrill  to 
the  sound  of  arms.  Several  senators,  musket  in  hand, 
had  taken  their  places  in  the  ranks  as  privates  ;  others, 
who  had  served  in  Europe,  took  the  command  of  the 
guns,  or  posts  of  inferior  service  in  artillery.  Such  a 
division  between  the  men  of  action  and  their  col 
leagues  could  not  but  degrade  the  latter  in  the  opinion 
of  the  public.  Besides,  this  same  legislature  had  be 
fore,  at  a  moment  of  expected  danger,  supported  the 
militia  who  refused  to  defend  their  country  at  the  call 
of  General  Flournoy ;  and  now  refusing  to  suspend 
the  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  General  Jackson,  fearing 
that  they  might  defeat  the  means  which  he  saw  neces 
sary  to  the  defence  of  the  state  and  city,  suspended 
their  councils,  on  the  16th  of  December,  by  declaring 
the  city  and  environs  of  New  Orleans  under  martial 
law. 

Every  person  entering  the  city  was  required  imme 
diately  to  report  himself  to  the  adjutant-general ;  and 
on  failing  to  do  so,  he  was  arrested  and  held  for  ex 
amination.  None  were  to  depart  from  it,  or  be  suf 
fered  to  pass  beyond  the  chain  of  sentinels,  but  by 
permission  from  the  commanding  general,  or  one  of 
the  staff.  Nor  was  any  vessel  or  craft  to  be  permitted 


MARTIAL    LAW    DECLARED.  321 

to  sail  on  the  river  or  the  lakes,  but  by  the  same 
authority,  or  a  passport  signed  by  the  commander  of 
the  naval  forces.  The  lamps  were  to  be  extinguished 
at  nine  o'clock  at  night ;  after  which  time,  all  persons 
found  in  the  streets  or  from  their  respective  homes, 
without  permission  in  writing,  signed  as  above,  were 
to  be  arrested  as  spies,  and  detained  for  examination. 

At  a  crisis  so  important,  and  from  a  persuasion  that 
the  country  in  its  menaced  situation  could  not  be 
saved  by  the  exercise  of  any  ordinary  powers,  he  be 
lieved  it  best  to  adopt  a  course  which  would  be  effi 
cient,  even  if  it  partially  endangered  the  rights  and 
privileges  of  the  citizen.  He  proclaimed  martial  law, 
believing  that  necessity  and  policy  required  it,  "  under 
a  solemn  conviction  that  the  country  committed  to  his 
care  could  by  such  a  measure  alone  be  saved  from 
utter  ruin,  and  from  a  religious  belief  that  he  was  per 
forming  the  most  important  and  sacred  duty.  By  it 
he  intended  to  supersede  such  civil  powers  as  in  their 
operation  interfered  with  those  he  was  obliged  to  ex 
ercise.  He  thought  that  at  such  a  moment  constitu 
tional  forms  should  be  suspended  for  the  preservation 
of  constitutional  rights ;  and  that  there  could  be  no 
question  whether  it  were  better  to  depart  for  a  mo 
ment  from  the  enjoyment  of  our  dearest  privileges,  or 
have  them  wrested  from  us  for  ever. 

"  In  thus  placing  the  defence  of  this  measure  upon 
the  highest  law  of  nature  and  of  nations — that  of  over 
ruling  necessity  in  self-preservation,  he  stood  upon 
impregnable  ground,  so  far  as  principle  was  involved, 
whatever  differences  of  opinion  may  exist  with  regard 
to  the  application  of  the  principle,  or  the  existence  of 
41 


322  NEW    ORLEANS. 

the  dire  necessity  of  resorting  to  a  measure  so  ex 
traordinary."* 

A  few  days  after  the  declaration  of  martial  law, 
66  Judge  Hall,  by  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  undertook  to 
interfere  with  a  military  arrest.  Jackson  forthwith 
ordered  the  intermeddling  judge  beyond  his  camp. 
On  the  return  of  peace  the  judge  also  returned,  and 
resumed  his  judicial  functions,  summoning  the  general 
to  appear  and  answer  for  this  alleged  contempt. 
Jackson  appeared ;  and  his  counsel,  when  they  would 
have  argued  his  defence,  were  silenced  by  the  judge, 
who  proceeded  to  impose  upon  the  general  a  fine  of 
one  thousand  dollars.  This  act  was  most  deeply  re 
sented  by  the  people  of  New  Orleans,  who  filled  the 
court,  and  whose  enthusiasm  for  the  saviour  of  their 
city  knew  no  bounds.  But  General  Jackson  restrained 
and  rebuked  their  fervour,  declaring  his  cheerful  sub 
mission  to  the  law,  and  giving  them  to  understand 
that  the  same  arm  which  had  saved  the  city  should  be 
raised,  if  needful,  to  protect  the  court.  The  citizens, 
indignant  at  this  act  of  judicial  revenge,  were  never 
theless  withheld  from  violence."t 

"  The  ladies  of  New  Orleans  raised  the  money  to 
discharge  the  fine ;  but  the  general  declined  receiving 
it,  and  requested  that  it  might  be  distributed  among 
the  widows  and  orphans  of  those  who  had  fallen  in 
the  battle. 

"Jackson  foresaw  the  day — too  long  delayed — 
but  which  came  at  last,  when  twenty  millions  of  free 
men,  speaking  through  the  national  congress,  should 

*  Lewis's  Eulogy.  f  Bolles's  Eulogy. 


LANDING    OF   THE    BRITISH.  323 

vindicate  the  rectitude  of  his  conduct,  and  declare  to 
mankind  that  America  does  not  willingly  allow  her 
valiant  defenders  to  be  fined  and  reproached  for 
effecting  their  country's  salvation."* 

But  to  return  from  the  defence  of  the  general  to 
the  defence  of  the  city.  The  gun-boats  having  been 
captured,  and  the  enemy  having  entire  command  of 
the  lakes,  it  was  obvious  to  General  Jackson  that  it 
would  be  useless  to  attempt  to  oppose  his  landing. 
He  knew  that  success  depended  on  a  prompt  defensive 
movement — his  only  hope  rested  on  a  successful  attack 
to  be  made  on  the  invading  army  the  moment  they 
landed.  In  answer  to  an  express  from  General  Car 
roll,  whose  division  had  been  delayed  on  its  way  to 
New  Orleans,  he  said,  "  I  am  resolved,  feeble  as  my 
force  is,  to  assail  the  enemy  on  his  first  landing,  and 
perish  sooner  than  he  shall  reach  the  city."  This  de 
termination,  thus  nobly  expressed,  was  promptly 
executed. 

On  the  morning  of  the  23d  of  December,  guided 
by  some  Spanish  fishermen,  the  enemy  effected  a 
landing  at  the  junction  of  the  Bayou  Bienvenu  and 
Lake  Borgne,  and  surprising  the  small  guard  posted 
there,  hastened  forward  to  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi, 
which  they  reached  about  nine  miles  below  the  city. 
There  they  were  discovered  about  noon  by  Majors 
Tatum  and  Latour,  who  immediately  reported  their 
discovery  to  General  Jackson.  Resolving  that  night 
to  meet  the  invaders,  Jackson  made  every  preparation 
to  act.  The  signal  guns  were  fired,  and  expresses 

*Bolles's  Eulogy. 
25* 


3-24 


NEW    ORLEANS. 


Arrival  of  the  British  lleet. 


sent  forward  to  concentrate  the  forces.  Although  en 
camped  four  miles  above,  Generals  Coffee  and  Carroll 
arrived  in  the  city  in  less  than  two  hours  after  the 
order  had  been  issued.  These  forces,  with  the  7th 
and  44th  regiments,  the  Louisiana  troops,  and  Colonel 
Hinds'  dragoons,  constituted  the  strength  of  his  army, 
which  could  be  carried  into  action  against  an  enemy 
whose  numbers  at  this  time  could  only  be  conjectured. 
Uncertain  of  the  enemy's  movements,  it  was  thought 
advisable  to  leave  Carroll  and  his  division,  and  Go 
vernor  Claiborne  with  the  state  militia  behind,  to  take 
post  on  the  Gentilly  road  leading  from  Chef-Menteur 
to  New  Orleans,  lest  the  landing  below  should  be  only 
a  feint  intended  to  conceal  a  real  attack  from  the  upper 
part  of  Lake  Borgne. 

Alarm  pervaded  the  city.  The  marching  and 
countermarching  of  the  troops — the  proximity  of  the 
enemy — with  the  approaching  contest,  and  uncertainty 
of  the  issue,  had  excited  a  general  fear.  Colonel 


PLAN    OF    ATTACK.  327 

Hayne,  with  two  companies  of  riflemen  and  the  Mis 
sissippi  dragoons,  was  sent  forward  to  harass  and  op 
pose  the  advance  of  the  British.  Every ihirg  being 
at  last  ready,  General  Jackson  commenced  his  march 
to  meet  and  fight  the  veteran  troops  of  England. 

An  inconsiderable  circumstance,  at  this  moment, 
evinced  the  unlimited  confidence  which  was  reposed 
in  his  skill  and  bravery.  As  his  troops  were  marching 
through  the  city,  his  ears  were  assailed  with  the 
screams  and  cries  of  innumerable  females  who  had 
collected  on  the  way,  and  seemed  to  apprehend  the 
worst  of  consequences.  Feeling  for  their  distresses, 
and  anxious  to  quiet  them,  he  directed  Mr.  Livingston 
to  address  them  in  the  French  language.  "  Say  to 
them,"  said  he,  "  not  to  be  alarmed  ;  the  enemy  shall 
never  reach  the  city."  The  effect  was  electrical.  To 
know  that  he  himself  was  not  apprehensive  of  a  fatal 
result,  inspired  them  with  altered  feelings ;  sorrow 
was  ended,  and  their  grief  converted  into  hope  and 
confidence. 

Jackson  arrived  in  view  of  the  enemy  a  little  before 
dark.  Having  formed  a  junction  with  Colonel  Hayne, 
he  learned  from  him  the  position  of  the  invaders,  and 
that  their  strength  was  about  two  thousand  men.* 
A  plan  of  attack  was  instantly  concerted.  Commodore 
Patterson,  commanding  the  naval  forces,  with  Captain 
Henly,  on  board  the  Caroline,  was  directed  to  drop 
down,  anchor  in  front  of  their  line,  and  open  upon 

*This  was  really  the  strength  of  the  British  when  Colonel  Hayne 
saw  them  ;  but  reinforcements  continually  arriving  by  the  way  of  the 
Bayou  Bienvenu,  had  at  the  beginning  of  the  battle  increased  their 
number  to  three  thousand. 


328  NEW   ORLEANS, 

them  from  the  guns  of  the  schooner;  which  being  the 
signal  for  attack,  it  was  to  be  waged  simultaneously 
on  all  sides.  The  enemy's  camp-fires  disclosed  his 
position,  and  showed  his  encampment,  formed  with 
the  left  resting  on  the  river,  and  extending  nearly  at 
right  angles  into  the  open  field.  General  Coffee,  with 
his  brigade,  Colonel  Hinds'  dragoons,  and  Captain 
Seal's  company  of  riflemen,  \v  as  ordered  to  oblique  to 
the  left,  and  by  a  circuitous  route  avoid  their  pickets, 
and  endeavour  to  turn  their  right  wing ;  having  suc 
ceeded  in  this,  he  was  instructed  to  form  his  line,  and 
press  the  enemy  towards  the  river,  where  they  would 
be  exposed  more  completely  to  the  fire  of  the  Caroline. 
The  rest  of  the  troops,  consisting  of  the  regulars,  Plan- 
che's  city  volunteers,  Daquin's  coloured  troops,  and 
the  artillery  under  Lieutenant  Spots,  supported  by  a 
company  of  marines  commanded  by  Colonel  M'Kee, 
advanced  along  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  their  right 
resting  on  the  river,  and  were  commanded  by  Jackson 
in  person. 

The  astonishment,  dismay,  and  confusion  of  the 
British,  when  attacked  by  the  Caroline,  cannot  be 
better  described  than  in  the  words  of  one  of  their  own 
subalterns.* 

"  The  day  passed  without  any  alarm ;  and  dark 
ness  having  set  in,  the  fires  were  made  to  blaze  with 
increased  splendour,  our  evening  meal  was  eat,  and  we 
prepared  to  sleep.  But  about  half-past  seven  o'clock 
the  attention  of  several  individuals  was  drawn  to  a 
large  vessel,  which  seemed  to  be  stealing  up  the  river 

*  Campaigns  of  the  British  Army  at  Washington  and  New  Orleans. 


ATTACK    OF  THE    CAROLINE.  329 

till  she  came  opposite  to  our  camp ;  when  her  anchor 
was  dropped  and  her  sails  leisurely  furled.  At  first 
we  were  doubtful  whether  she  might  not  be  one  of 
our  own  cruisers  which  had  passed  the  port  unobserved, 
and  had  arrived  to  render  her  assistance  in  our  future 
operations.  To  satisfy  this  doubt,  she  was  repeatedly 
hailed,  but  returned  no  answer ;  when  an  alarm  spread 
ing  through  the  bivouac,  all  thought  of  sleep  was  laid 
aside.  Several  musket  shots  were  now  fired  at  her 
with  the  design  of  exacting  a  reply,  of  which  no  notice 
was  taken ;  till  at  length,  having  fastened  all  her  sails 
and  swung  her  broadside  towards  us,  we  could  dis 
tinctly  hear  some  one  cry  out  in  a  commanding  voice, 
'Give  them  this  for  the  honour  of  America.'  The 
words  were  instantly  followed  by  the  flashes  of  her 
guns,  and  a  deadly  shower  of  grape  swept  down  num 
bers  in  the* camp. 

"  Against  this  dreadful  fire  we  had  nothing  what 
ever  to  oppose.  The  artillery  which  we  had  landed 
was  too  light  to  bring  into  competition  with  an  adver 
sary  so  powerful ;  and  as  she  had  anchored  within  a 
short  distance  of  the  opposite  bank,  no  musketry 
could  reach  her  with  any  precision  or  effect.  A  few 
rockets  were  discharged,  which  made  a  beautiful  ap 
pearance  in  the  air ;  but  the  rocket  is  an  uncertain 
weapon ;  and  these  deviated  too  far  from  their  object 
to  produce  even  terror  among  those  against  whom 
they  were  directed.  Under  these  circumstances,  as 
nothing  could  be  done  offensively,  our  sole  object  was 
to  shelter  the  men  as  much  as  possible  from  this  iron 
hail.  With  this  view  they  were  commanded  to  leave 
42 


330  JNUW    ORLEANS. 

the  fires,  and  to  hasten  under  the  dyke.*  Thither  all 
accordingly  repaired,  without  much  regard  to  order 
and  regularity ;  and  laying  ourselves  along  wherever 
we  could  find  room,  we  listened  in  painful  silence  to 
the  scattering  of  grape-shot  among  our  huts,  and  to 
the  shrieks  and  groans  of  those  who  lay  wounded 
beside  them. 

"  The  night  was  now  as  dark  as  pitch,  the  moon 
being  but  young,  and  totally  obscured  with  clouds. 
Our  fires,  deserted  by  us,  and  beat  about  by  the 
enemy's  shot,  began  to  burn  red  and  dull ;  and,  except 
when  the  flashes  of  those  guns  which  played  upon  us 
cast  a  momentary  glare,  not  an  object  could  be  distin 
guished  at  the  distance  of  a  yard.  In  this  state  we 
lay  for  nearly  an  hour,  unable  to  move  from  our 
ground,  or  offer  any  opposition  to  those  who  kept  us 
there ;  when  a  straggling  firo  of  musketry  called  our 
attention  towards  the  pickets,  and  warned  us  to  pre 
pare  for  a  closer  and  more  desperate  strife.  As  yet, 
however,  it  was  uncertain  from  what  cause  this  drop 
ping  fire  arose.  It  might  proceed  from  the  sentinels, 
who,  alarmed  by  the  cannonade  from  the  river,  mis 
took  every  tree  for  an  American  ;  and  till  this  should 
be  more  fully  ascertained,  it  would  be  improper  to  ex 
pose  the  troops,  by  moving  any  of  them  from  the  shel 
ter  which  the  bank  afforded.  But  these  doubts  were 
not  permitted  to  continue  long  in  existence.  The 
dropping  fire  having  paused  for  a  few  moments,  was 
succeeded  by  a  fearful  yell,  and  the  heavens  were  illu- 

*  Called   by  the  Louisianians  "levee,"  an  embankment  formed 
along  the  river  to  confine  it  in  its  bed. 


COFFEE'S   ATTACK,  333 

minated  on  all  sides  by  a  semicircular  blaze  of  mus 
ketry.  It  was  now  clear  that  we  were  surrounded, 
and  that  by  a  very  superior  force ;  and,  therefore,  no 
alternative  remained,  but  either  to  surrender  at  discre 
tion  or  to  beat  back  the  assailants." 

This  "very  superior  force"  was  Coffee's  brigade 
of  about  six  hundred  dismounted  riflemen,  which  the 
fears  of  the  enemy,  at  this  time  three  thousand  strong, 
magnified  into  an  army  of  thousands.  The  attack 
had  been  commenced  somewhat  prematurely  by  the 
Caroline;  otherwise  the  astonishment  of  the  British 
would  have  been  fatal.  The  levee  would  have  afforded 
them  no  protection.  Attacked  on  three  sides  at  once, 
they  would  have  been  compelled  to  retreat  before  an 
inferior  force  or  surrender  at  discretion.  When 
General  Coffee  arrived  at  the  edge  of  the  ditch  sepa 
rating  the  plantations  of  Laronde  and  Lacoste,  he  or 
dered  his  men  to  dismount,  and  leaving  one  hundred 
men  to  guard  the  horses,  pushed  forward  with  the  re 
mainder,  and  gained,  as  he  believed,  the  centre  of  the 
enemy's  line.  At  this  instant  the  signal  from  the 
Caroline  reached  him ;  he  wheeled  his  columns  into 
an  extended  line,  according  to  the  orders  he  had  pre 
viously  received,  and  moved  towards  the  camp.  He 
had  scarcely  advanced  more  than  a  hundred  yards, 
when  he  was  fired  upon  by  the  enemy  in  front.  This 
to  him  was  an  unexpected  occurrence,  as  he  supposed 
the  enemy  to  be  lying  principally  on  the  bank  of  the 
river,  and  thought  that  the  only  opposition  he  would 
meet  until  he  should  reach  the  levee  would  be  from 
the  advanced  guards.  The  circumstance  of  his  com 
ing  up  with  them  so  soon,  was  in  consequence  of  the 


334  NEW  ORLEANS,  . 

severe  attack  of  the  schooner,  which  had  compelled 
them  to  abandon  their  camp,  and  take  refuge  behind 
the  dyke.  Coffee  ordered  his  line  to  advance  in  si 
lence,  and  to  fire  without  order,  but  only  when  certain 
of  their  object.  The  line  pressed  on,  and  having 
gained  a  position  in  the  rear  of  Lacoste's  garden,  and 
near  enough  to  the  enemy  to  distinguish  them  by  the 
uncertain  light  of  the  moon,  a  brisk  fire  was  com 
menced,  which  was  the  more  destructive,  as  not  a  man 
discharged  his  rifle  without  doing  execution.  This 
continued  shower  of  deadly  bullets  was  too  severe  to 
be  long  withstood ;  the  enemy  gave  way  and  retreated 
— they  rallied,  formed,  were  charged,  and  again  re 
treated.  The  gallant  Tennesseeans,  led  by  their 
brave  commander,  urged  fearlessly  on,  and  drove 
them  from  every  position  they  attempted  to  maintain, 
until  they  reached  the  bank  of  the  river.  Here  a  de 
termined  stand  was  made,  and  further  encroachments 
resisted.  For  half  an  hour  the  contest  was  extremely 
violent  on  both  sides.  The  American  troops  could 
not  be  driven  from  their  purpose,  nor  the  British  made 
to  yield  their  ground  ;  but,  at  length,  having  suffered 
greatly,  the  latter  were  under  the  necessity  of  taking 
refuge  behind  a  strong  bank,  which  afforded  a  breast 
work,  and  protected  them  from  the  fatal  fire  of  Coffee's 
riflemen.  Coffee,  unacquainted  with  their  true  posi 
tion,  was  again  about  to  order  another  charge,  when 
one  of  his  aids,  who  had  advanced  near  enough  to 
gain  the  information,  assured  him  that  such  a  course 
would  be  too  hazardous  ;  that  they  could  be  driven 
no  further,  and  would  from  the  point  they  occupied 
resist  with  the  bayonet,  and  repel,  with  considerable 


COFFEE'S    ATTACK.  335 

loss,  any  attempt  to  dislodge  them.  The  place  of 
their  retirement  was  covered  in  front  by  a  strong 
bank,  which  had  been  extended  into  the  field  to  keep 
out  the  river,  in  consequence  of  the  first  being  en 
croached  upon  and  undermined  in  several  places. 
The  old  one,  however,  was  still  entire  in  many  parts, 
and  gave  them  security  from  the  broadsides  of  the 
schooner,  which  lay  off  at  a  little  distance.  A  fur 
ther  apprehension,  lest,  by  moving  still  nearer  to  the 
river,  he  might  expose  himself  to  the  fire  of  the  Caro 
line,  which  yet  maintained  the  conflict  with  spirit, 
induced  Coffee  to  retire,  until  he  could  hear  from  the 
commanding  general,  and  receive  his  further  orders. 

During  the  whole  of  this  time,  the  detachment  of 
cavalry  under  the  command  of  Major  Hinds,  not  being 
able  to  manoeuvre  in  fields  cut  up  with  ditches  at  very 
close  intervals,  remained  drawn  up  on  the  edge  of  a 
ditch,  in  the  middle  of  Lacoste's  plantation.  Captain 
Beale's  company  of  Orleans  riflemen  advanced  on 
the  left  of  Coffee's  line  until  they  were  separated  from 
them  in  the  first  charge.  They  then  pushed  forward 
into  Villere's  plantation,  almost  in  the  midst  of  the 
detachments  of  the  enemy  continually  arriving  from 
the  boats.  They  were  principally  engaged  with  a 
corps  near  the  old  levee,  which  they  forced  to  re 
treat.  In  the  meantime,  Coffee  discovered  that  some 
of  the  British  had  posted  themselves  among  the  negro 
huts  on  his  right.  He  immediately  moved  to  the 
right,  drove  them  from  the  huts,  and  took  a  po 
sition  near  the  boundary  of  Laronde's  plantation. 
Captain  Beale's  company  having  penetrated  into  the 
very  camp  of  the  enemy  and  made  several  prisoners, 
26 


336  NEW  ORLEANS. 

pushed  forward  to  the  right,  following  Coffee's  move 
ment,  with  the  intention  of  effecting  a  junction.  Un 
fortunately,  a  party  of  them,  owing  to  the  darkness, 
fell  among  a  large  corps  of  the  British,  thinking  them 
friends,  and  were  made  prisoners.  The  others,  follow 
ing  the  road  to  the  right,  soon  joined  General  Coffee 
with  several  prisoners. 

While  the  left  wing  was  thus  driving  before  them 
a  superior  force,  the  right  wing  under  Jackson  was 
not  inactive.  On  hearing  the  signal  from  the  Caro 
line,  the  whole  line  moved  forward  along  the  bank  of 
the  river,  until  they  were  stopped  by  a  heavy  fire  from 
behind  a  fence  immediately  before  them.  This  brought 
the  enemy  to  view  ;  and  Jackson  ordered  his  line  to 
advance,  and  not  to  waste  their  ammunition  at  ran 
dom,  but  make  every  shot  tell.  A  fog  arising  from 
the  river,  and  the  smoke  from  the  guns,  gradually  di 
minished  the  little  light  shed  by  the  moon,  and  greatly 
increased  the  darkness  of  the  night.  The  enemy 
could  only  be  discovered  by  the  flash  of  their  muskets. 
This  left  no  alternative  to  the  assailants  but  to  move 
on  in  the  direction  of  the  fire,  which  subjected  them  to 
great  disadvantages,  and  finally  prevented  the  left  of 
the  line  from  joining  the  right  of  Coffee's,  as  had  been 
intended.  The  battery  of  two  field-pieces  was  formed 
on  the  road,  and  the  British  were  driven  from  their 
first  position  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  They  re 
tired,  however,  only  until  they  came  to  a  deep  ditch, 
on  the  side  of  which  there  was  a  rail  fence,  where 
they  again  formed,  and,  strengthened  by  large  rein 
forcements,  opposed  the  advance  of  the  Americans. 
Having  waited  until  they  approached  sufficiently  near 


JACKSON'S    ATTACK.  337 

to  be  distinctly  seen,  the  enemy  discharged  a  fire  upon 
the  advancing  army.  Instantly  the  little  battery  in 
the  road  was  again  formed,  and  poured  destructively 
upon  them ;  while  the  infantry,  pressing  forward,  aided 
in  the  conflict,  which  was  at  this  point  for  some  time 
spiritedly  maintained.  At  this  moment,  a  brisk  sally 
was  made  upon  the  American  advance ;  the  marines, 
unequal  to  the  assault,  were  already  giving  way,  when 
the  adjutant-general,  and  Colonels  Piatt  and  Chotard 
with  a  part  of  the  7th  regiment,  hastening  to  their  sup 
port,  drove  back  the  enemy,  arid  saved  the  artillery 
from  capture.  General  Jackson,  perceiving  the  de 
cided  advantages  which  were  derived  from  the  position 
occupied  by  the  enemy,  ordered  their  line  to  be 
charged.  The  order  was  executed  with  promptness. 
Pressing  on,  the  troops  gained  the  ditch,  and  pouring 
across  it  a  well-aimed  fire,  compelled  them  to  retreat, 
and  to  abandon  their  intrenchmerit.  They  only  fled  a 
short  distance,  to  renew  the  contest  behind  another 
fence  or  ditch,  which  they  as  obstinately  defended, 
but  were,  in  like  manner,  forced  to  yield. 

The  British  then  formed  the  design  of  turning  the 
American  left ;  but  they  were  met  and  repulsed  by  Da- 
quin's  and  the  battalion  of  city  guards,  and  again  fell 
back  in  the  darkness.  The  enemy  had  now  been  thrice 
assailed  and  beaten,  and  for  nearly  a  mile  compelled  to 
yield  their  ground.  They  had  now  retired,  and  were 
only  to  be  found  by  seeking  through  the  darkness  of 
the  night.  The  general  determined  to  halt  and  ascer 
tain  Coffee's  position  and  success,  previously  to  con 
tinuing  the  action  ;  for  as  yet  no  communication  had 
passed  between  them.  He  entertained  no  doubt, 
43 


338  NEW   ORLEANS. 

from  the  brisk  firing  in  that  direction,  that  he  had  been 
warmly  engaged ;  but  this  had  now  nearly  subsided. 
The  Caroline,  too,  had  almost  ceased  her  operations ; 
it  being  only  occasionally  that  the  noise  of  her  guns 
disclosed  the  little  opportunity  she  had  of  acting 
efficiently. 

The  express  despatched  to  General  Jackson  from 
the  left  wing  havino-  reached  him,  he  determined  to 

o  O  ' 

prosecute  the  successes  he  had  gained  no  further.  He 
had  already  accomplished  his  object:  checked  the 
British  on  their  first  landing,  and  given  them  a  slight 
foretaste  of  what  he  had  in  store  for  them,  if  they 
should  proceed  any  farther.  General  Coffee  was  ac 
cordingly  directed  to  withdraw,  and  take  a  position 
at  Laronde's  plantation,  where  the  line  had  been  first 
formed ;  and  thither  the  troops  on  the  right  were  also 
ordered  to  march.  An  order  was  sent  to  General 
Carroll,  calling  upon  him  to  hasten  with  his  brigade 
to  the  scene  of  action,  with  the  intention  of  renewing 
the  battle  as  soon  as  there  was  sufficient  light.  Pre 
viously,  however,  to  his  arrival,  a  different  determina 
tion  was  made.  From  prisoners  who  had  been  brought 
in,  and  through  deserters,  it  was  ascertained  that  the 
strength  of  the  enemy  during  the  battle  had  been  in 
creased  to  four  thousand  men.  The  Americans  num 
bered  only  twenty-five  hundred,  including  Carroll's 
brigade.  This  superiority  of  the  enemy  made  it  mad 
ness  to  think  of  acting  on  the  offensive  in  open  day. 

Although  very  decided  advantages  had  been  ob 
tained,  yet  they  had  been  procured  under  circumstances 
which  might  be  wholly  lost  in  a  contest  waged  in  day 
light  between  forces  so  disproportionate,  and  by  un- 


JACKSON    FORTIFIES    HIS    CAMP.  339 

disciplined  troops,  against  veteran  soldiers.  Jackson 
well  knew  it  was  incumbent  on  him  to  act  a  part  en 
tirely  defensive.  Should  the  attempt  to  gain  and 
destroy  the  city  succeed,  numerous  difficulties  would 
present  themselves,  which  might  be  avoided  so  long 
as  he  could  hold  the  enemy  in  check.  Prompted  by 
these  considerations — that  it  was  important  to  pursue 
a  course  calculated  to  insure  safety,  and  believing  it 
attainable  in  no  way  so  effectually  as  in  occupying 
some  point,  and  by  the  strength  he  might  give  it  com 
pensate  for  the  inferiority  of  his  numbers — he  deter 
mined  to  forbear  all  further  offensive  efforts,  until  he 
could  more  certainly  discover  the  views  of  the  enemy, 
and  until  the  Kentucky  troops,  which  had  not  yet  ar 
rived,  should  reach  him.  Having  taken  this  resolution 

7  O 

at  four  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  24th,  and  ordered 
Colonel  Hinds  to  occupy  the  ground  he  was  then 
abandoning,  and  to  observe  the  enemy  closely,  he  fell 
back  and  formed  his  line  behind  a  deep  ditch  that  ran 
at  right  angles  from  the  river,  about  two  miles  nearer 
the  city. 

There  were  two  circumstances  that  strongly  re 
commended  this  position  to  Jackson.  The  swamp, 
which  from  the  highlands  at  Baton  Rouge  skirts  the 
river  at  irregular  distances,  and  in  many  places  is  al 
most  impervious,  had  here  approached  within  four 
hundred  yards  of  the  Mississippi,  and  hence,  from  the 
narrowness  of  the  pass,  was  more  easy  to  be  defended  ; 
added  to  which  there  was  a  deep  canal,  whence  the 
dirt  being  thrown  on  the  upper  side  already  formed  a 
tolerable  breastwork.  Behind  this  his  troops  were 
formed,  and  proper  measures  adopted  for  increasing 
26* 


340  NEW    ORLEANS. 

its  strength,  with  a  determination  never  to  abandon  it; 
but  there  to  resist  to  the  last,  and  valiantly  to  defend 
those  rights  which  were  sought  to  be  outraged  and 
destroyed. 

In  the  battle  of  the  23d  of  December,  the  American 
troops  actually  engaged  did  not  amount  to  two  thou 
sand  ;  yet  they  for  two  hours  maintained  a-  severe  con 
flict  with  a  force  of  four  or  five  thousand,  and  retired 
in  safety  from  the  ground,  with  the  loss  of  but  twenty- 
four  killed,  one  hundred  and  fifteen  wounded,  and 
seventy-four  made  prisoners ;  while  the  killed,  wounded, 
and  prisoners  of  the  enemy,  were  not  less  than  four 
hundred.  The  Americans  lost  among  the  slain  Colo 
nel  Lauderdale  and  Lieutenant  M'Clelland. 

This  battle  saved  New  Orleans.  It  checked  the 
treacherous,  confirmed  the  wavering,  inspired  the  true. 
"  The  British  had  reached  the  Mississippi,  and  had 
encamped  upon  its  banks,  as  composedly  as  if  they 
had  been  seated  on  their  own  soil,  at  a  distance  from 
all  danger.  They  felt  certain  of  success,  and  that  the 
American  troops,  so  easily  routed  at  Bladensburg, 
would  scarcely  venture  to  resist  at  New  Orleans. 
Resting  thus  confidently,  they  would  have  moved  for 
ward  the  next  day,  and  might  have  accomplished  their 
designs.  But  General  Jackson,  with  a  force  inferior 
by  one-half  to  that  of  the  enemy,  at  an  unexpected 
moment  broke  into  the  camp,  and  with  his  undisciplined 
yeomanry,  drove  before  him  for  nearly  a  mile,  the 
proud  conquerors  of  Europe !  This  was  on  the 
23d  of  December,  1814;  and  although  it  was  not  the 
death-blow,  it  was  the  master-stroke  of  bravery  and 
sagacity  which  saved  the  city  from  pillage.  It  in- 


EFFECTS    OF    THE    BATTLE.  341 

duced  the  enemy  to  believe  that  the  American  force 
was  greater  than  his  spies  had  reported  it,  caused  him 
to  suspend  his  meditated  attack  until  he  received  re 
inforcements,  and  thus  gave  the  American  general 
time  to  complete  his  fortifications,  and  gather  addi 
tional  forces  for  defence."*  "It  taught  them  respect 
for  the  American  arms.  It  came  upon  them  at  night, 
in  a  strange  land,  unexpected,  and  when  but  a  part  of 
their  forces  were  landed.  It  carried  confusion  and 
panic  into  their  ranks,  and  dispelled  the  terror  of  their 
invincibility ;  and  although  the  brilliant  victory  of  the 
1st  of  January,  and  the  total  and  memorable  rout  of 
the  8th,  finally  expelled  the  invaders,  they  but  completed 
and  perfected  what  the  master-stroke  of  the  23d  had 
so  well  begun.  The  forces  of  the  British  vastly  ex 
ceeded  those  of  the  attacking  party;  and  this  fact 
strongly  illustrates  the  natural  and  intuitive  skill  of 
General  Jackson  in  the  art  of  war.  It  was  the  maxim 
of  Napoleon,  the  great  master  of  this  science,  that  an 
inferior  force  should  never  wait  to  be  attacked ;  for, 
by  advancing,  they  either  fall  with  all  their  strength 
on  a  single  point  when  they  are  not  expected,  or  meet 
the  opposing  columns  on  the  advance,  when  bravery 
gives  the  victory — or,  in  his  own  nervous  language, 
'  CPest  une  affaire  des  tetes  des  colonnes  ou  la  bravoure 
seule  decide  tout.'1 

"  There  were  many  points  of  resemblance  between 
Napoleon  and  Jackson.  Both  were  remarkable  for 
impetuosity;  both  acted  on  the  offensive;  both  in 
emergencies  hazarded  much,  if  not  all,  on  the  celerity 

*  Lewis's  Eulogy. 


342 


NEW   ORLEANS. 


-.  -—  -» 

r^  ~> 


Napolt 


and  success  of  their  assaults ;  both  carried  the  war  into 
the  heart  of  an  enemy's  country ;  both  were  celebrated 
for  rapidity  and  exactness  of  combination ;  both  startled 
their  adversaries  by  sudden  and  unlooked-for  attacks. 
There  was  a  similarity  even  in  the  impassioned,  sen 
tentious,  and  sanguine  appeals  of  both  to  their  re 
spective  armies ;  and  both  attained  signal  and  bril 
liant  success.  But,  fortunately  for  our  country,  and 
for  him  whose  fame  we  cherish,  the  points  of  difference 
are  equally  striking.  Napoleon  aimed  at  the  conquest 
of  a  world,  and  would  have  established  a  sole  monar 
chy,  if  not  despotism ;  his  restless  ambition  knew  no 
goal  short  of  universal  dominion ;  and  after  overrun 
ning  with  his  successful  armies  a  great  part  of  the 
globe,  he  was  driven  from  his  kingdom  and  his  throne, 


NAPOLEON  AND  JACKSON.        343 

confined  in  a  solitary  and  remote  island,  where  his 
uncontrollable  spirit  fretted  itself  out  against  the  bars 
of  the  prison.  Jackson  drew  his  sword  only  at  hig 
country's  call ;  it  was  never  wielded  but  in  defence  of 
her  soil,  her  rights,  and  liberties ;  he  sheathed  it  but 
to  return  to  the  bosom  of  his  family  and  the  pleasures 
of  domestic  life ;  he  was  attended  always  by  the  grate 
ful  plaudits  of  a  people  whose  liberties  he  had  defended, 
and  after  receiving  the  highest  honours  of  the  republic, 
his  last  days  were  cheered  with  the  sight  of  a  country's 
prosperity,  to  whose  service  his  life  had  been  devoted 
and  he  was  followed  to  the  grave  by  a  nation  of 


mourners."  * 


*Van  Buren's  Eulogy. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

NEW  ORLEANS  — BATTLE    OF   THE    EIGHTH 
JANUARY. 


OF 


N   the    defence 
of  New  Orleans, 
the  great  char 
acteristics  of  Jackson 
were     signally     dis 
played.    Promptitude 
in  decision,  and  acti 
vity  in    execu- 
^   cution,    con- 
the 


of  his   char 
acter.  When 
he  had  resolved  on  the  course  which  he  thought  ne- 


THE   INVADING    ARMY.  345 

cessary  to  be  pursued,  with  all  possible  despatch  he 
hastened  to  its  completion.  Before  him  was  an  army 
proud  of  its  name,  and  distinguished  for  its  deeds  of 
valour — -an  army,  the  finest  that  ever  appeared  on  our 
shores, — one  that  had  driven  the  warriors  of  France, 
the  conquerors  of  continental  Europe,  from  the  pillars 
of  Hercules  to  the  Pyrenees.  Opposed  to  this  was 
his  own  unbending  spirit,  and  an  inferior,  undisciplined, 
and  half-armed  force.  He  conceived,  therefore,  that 
his  was  a  defensive  policy ;  that  by  prudence  and  cau 
tion  he  would  be  able  to  preserve  what  offensive 
operations  might  have  a  tendency  to  endanger. 
Hence,  with  activity  and  industry,  based  on  a  hope 
of  ultimate  success,  he  commenced  his  plan  of  de 
fence,  determining  to  fortify  himself  as  effectually  as 
the  peril  and  pressure  of  the  moment  would  permit. 
When  to  expect  attack  he  could  not  tell ;  preparation 
and  readiness  to  meet  it  was  for  him  to  determine  on ; 
all  else  was  for  the  enemy.  Promptly,  therefore,  he 
proceeded  with  his  system  of  defence ;  and,  with  such 
thoughtfulness  and  anxiety,  that  until  the  night  of  the 
27th,  when  his  line  was  completed,  he  never  slept,  or 
for  a  moment  closed  his  eyes.  Resting  his  hope  of 
safety  here,  he  was  everywhere  present,  night  and  day, 
encouraging  his  troops,  and  hastening  the  completion 
of  the  works.  The  concern  and  excitement  produced 
by  the  mighty  object  before  him  were  such  as  over 
came  the  demand,  and  for  five  days  and  four  nights 
he  was  without  sleep  and  constantly  employed. 

The  enemy,  astounded  by  the  warmth  of  reception 
on  the  night  of  their  landing,  still  remained  in  their 

44 


346 


NEW    ORLEANS. 


first  encampment.  The  canal  which  covered  the  front 
of  the  American  line  was  widened  and  deepened,  and 
a  strong  mud  wall  formed  of  the  earth  that  was  thrown 
out.  To  prevent  the  approach  of  the  enemy  until  his 
system  of  defence  should  be  in  a  state  of  greater  for 
wardness,  Jackson  ordered  the  levee  to  be  cut,  about 
a  hundred  yards  below  his  position.  The  river  being 
very  high,  a  broad  stream  of  water  passed  rapidly 
through  the  plain,  of  the  depth  of  thirty  or  forty  inches, 
which  prevented  any  approach  of  troops  on  foot. 
Embrasures  were  formed,  and  two  pieces  of  artillery 
under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Spotts,  early  on  the 
morning  of  the  24th,  were  placed  in  a  position  to  rake 
the  road  leading  up  the  levee. 


Aware  of  the  importance  of  the  fort  at  Chef-Men- 
teur,  and  of  the  necessity  of  its  defence  to  prevent  the 
enemy  from  debarking  a  detachment  at  the  head  of 
Lake  Borgne,  and  capturing  the  city  in  his  rear,  while 
he  was  engaged  with  the  main  army  in  front,  Jackson 
renewed  his  cautions  to  Governor  Claiborne,  who, 


JACKSON'S    PREPARATIONS.  347 

with  his  militia,  was  still  stationed  on  the  Gentilly 
road,  and  to  Major  Lacoste,  who  commanded  the  post 
at  Chef-Menteur.  To  the  latter  he  wrote:  "The 
battery  I  have  placed  under  your  command  must  be 
defended  at  all  hazards.  In  you  and  the  valour  of 
your  troops  I  repose  every  confidence  ;  let  me  not  be 
deceived.  With  us  everything  goes  on  well ;  the 
enemy  has  not  yet  advanced.  Our  troops  have  co 
vered  themselves  with  glory :  it  is  a  noble  example, 
and  worthy  to  be  followed  by  all.  Maintain  your 
post;  nor  ever  think  of  retreating."  Colonel  Dyer, 
with  two  hundred  men,  was  ordered  to  reinforce 
Lacoste. 

The  British  encampment  lying  between  the  Ameri 
can  lines  and  the  position  of  General  Morgan,  at  the 
English  turn  of  the  river,  he  was  ordered  to  destroy 
the  levee  between  him  and  the  enemy,  and  interpose 
the  waters  of  the  Mississippi  between  them.  On  the 
26th  he  was  ordered  to  abandon  his  encampment,  cross 
the  Mississippi,  and  assume  a  position  on  the  right 
bank,  nearly  opposite  to  Jackson's  line,  and  to  have 
it  fortified  as  speedily  as  possible. 

From  every  intelligence  obtained  through  deserters 
and  prisoners,  it  was  evident  that  the  British  fleet 
would  make  an  effort  to  ascend  the  river,  or  by  some 
other  means  arrive  on  the  scene  of  action,  and  co-ope 
rate  with  the  troops  already  landed.  Lest  this,  or  a 
diversion  in  a  different  quarter  might  be  attempted, 
exertions  were  made  to  be  able  to  resist  at  all  points. 
The  forts  on  the  river,  well  supported  with  brave  men, 
and  supplied  with  heavy  pieces  of  artillery,  were  strong 
enough  in  the  opinion  of  the  commanding  general  to 
27 


348  NEW   ORLEANS. 


Lafitte. 


prevent  the  arrival  of  the  hostile  fleet  in  that  direc 
tion.  But  they  might  enter  through  the  pass  Bara- 
taria,  land  their  forces,  and  gain  a  position  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  river,  whence,  co-operating  with  the 
forces  on  the  east  side,  they  might  drive  the  Ameri 
cans  from  the  line  they  had  formed,  and  attack  Jack 
son's  line  on  the  flank  and  rear.  Major  Reynolds 
and  Captain  Lafitte  were  accordingly  ordered  thither, 
with  instructions  to  place  the  bayous  emptying  through 
this  pass  in  the  best  possible  state  of  defence.  Lafitte 
was  selected  for  this  service  on  account  of  the  know 
ledge  of  the  topography  and  precise  situation  of  this 
part  of  the  state,  which  he  had  acquired  while  acting 
as  the  leader  of  a  small  body  of  privateers,  who  made 
the  island  of  Barataria  their  principal  rendezvous. 


THE    BARATARIA    PRIVATEERS.  349 

Of  these  celebrated  and  daring  men  a  brief  notice 
here  will  not  be  considered  as  misplaced.  When 
Guadaloupe  was  captured  by  the  British,  many  priva 
teers  were  at  sea,  commissioned  by  the  government 
of  that  island.  Prevented  from  returning  into  the 
ports  whence  they  sailed,  and  not  being  permitted  to 
dispose  of  their  prizes  in  any  of  the  harbours  of  the 
United  States,  then  at  peace  with  Great  Britain,  many 
of  them  sailed  for  Carthagena,  which  had  but  recently 
declared  its  independence  from  Spain.  From  the  go 
vernment  of  Carthagena  they  received  commissions 
to  cruise  against  the  Spaniards.  In  this  new  character, 
under  the  Carthaginian  flag,  they  committed  great 
havoc  among  the  Spanish  merchantmen  trading  in  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  Their  prizes  being  too  numerous 
and  valuable  to  be  trusted  in  any  of  the  ports  which 
were  open  to  them,  they  took  possession  of  the  islands 
of  Barataria  and  Grande  Terre,  lying  west  of  the 
river  Mississippi.  The  latter  island  possessed  an  ex 
cellent  harbour,  and  afforded  sufficient  anchorage- 
ground  for  all  the  privateers  and  their  prizes.  Here 
they  established  a  regular  depot ;  and  from  this  place 
immense  quantities  of  goods  were  smuggled  into  New 
Orleans,  in  direct  violation  of  the  revenue  laws  of  the 
United  States.  Their  lodgment  upon  these  islands 
was  in  itself  illegal,  as  the  ground  belonged  to  the 
United  States,  who  were  bound  to  preserve  the  neu 
trality  of  their  territory. 

No  effective  measures  were  taken,  however,  to  ex 
pel  them ;  and  the  Baratarians  continued  their  depre 
dations  upon  the  Spanish  commerce,  and  sometimes 
ventured  to  attack  vessels  of  other  nations.  They 


350  NEW   ORLEANS. 

were  generally  regarded  as  pirates ;  but  it  is  probable 
that  most,  if  not  all  of  them,  were  commissioned  by 
the  Carthaginian  government.  The  leaders  of  the 
Baratarians  were  two  brothers  named  Lafitte.  One 
of  these  was  apprehended  by  the  American  authorities, 
and  thrown  into  prison  at  New  Orleans,  before  the 
arrival  of  the  British  at  Pensacola.  The  co-operation 
of  these  men,  the  British  officers  believed,  would  be 
of  great  importance  in  the  projected  invasion,  more 
particularly  as  they  were  intimately  acquainted  with 
the  navigation  of  the  coast  and  river.  Captain  Percy, 
commander  of  the  naval  forces  of  the  British,  and 
Colonel  Nicholls,  accordingly  determined  to  secure  it, 
if  possible.  Captain  Lockyer,  of  the  sloop  Sophia, 
was  despatched  to  Barataria,  bearing  offers  of  liberal 
remuneration  to  the  Lafittes  and  their  followers,  if 
they  would  assist  the  British.  Captain  Percy  informed 
the  Baratarians,  that  having  understood  that  several 
British  vessels  had  been  taken  by  their  cruisers,  he 
should  require  instant  restitution,  and  in  case  of  refusal 
destroy  their  vessels  and  property.  At  the  same  time, 
he  assured  them  that  "  should  they  be  inclined  to  as 
sist  Great  Britain  in  her  just  war  against  the  United 
States,  the  security  of  their  property  and  the  blessings 
of  the  British  constitution  are  offered  to  them — and 
should  they  be  inclined  to  settle  on  this  continent, 
lands  would  at  the  conclusion  of  the  war  be  assigned 

o 

to  them  in  his  majesty's  colonies  in  America. 

In  return  for  all  these  concessions  on  the  part  of 
Great  Britain,  they  were  to  abandon  their  predatory 
warfare  against  Spain,  and  to  place  their  vessels  under 
the  control  of  the  British  government,  which  would 


BRITISH    VISIT    BARATARIA.  351 

compensate  them  fully  for  all  their  property.  The 
Baratarians  were  invited  to  enter  the  British  service, 
and  a  free  pardon  was  offered  to  all  deserters,  or 
other  British  subjects,  who  would  return  to  their  duty. 
To  the  leaders,  a  prospect  of  rank  and  promotion  in 
the  British  navy  was  held  out,  to  confirm  them  in  a 
determination  which  the  British  officers  doubted  not 
they  would  form. 

The  Sophia  arrived  off  the  pass  of  Barataria  on 
the  3d  of  September.  Having  fired  upon  a  vessel 
which  was  attempting  to  enter,  she  anchored  at  the 
entrance  of  the  pass.  Captain  Lockyer,  with  two 
other  officers,  proceeded  towards  the  shore  in  the  pin 
nace.  They  were  met  by  the  younger  Lafitte,  to 
whom  they  delivered  their  despatches.  Having  pe 
rused  them,  and  listened  to  the  explanations  of  Captain 
Lockyer,  Lafitte  requested  to  be  allowed  a  few  days 
for  consideration,  when  he  would  decide  upon  the 
course  he  should  pursue.  The  crews  of  the  privateers, 
suspecting  the  object  of  the  visit  of  the  British  officers, 
wished  to  detain  them ;  and  they  were  actually  seized 
and  confined  during  the  momentary  absence  of  Lafitte. 
He  succeeded,  however,  in  persuading  his  followers 
to  release  them,  and  they  returned  to  their  vessel ; 
Lafitte  promising  to  give  an  answer  in  a  few  days  to 
their  propositions.  On  the  following  day  he  wrote  to 
Captain  Lockyer,  requesting  two  weeks  for  prepara 
tion,  and  seemingly  accepting  the  offers  he  had  made. 
On  the  same  day  he  despatched  a  messenger  to  New 
Orleans,  bearing  a  letter  to  Mr.  Blanque,  one  of  the 
representatives,  and  president  of  the  committee  of  de 
fence,  enclosing  all  the  papers  left  by  the  British,  and 
27* 


352  NEW    ORLEANS. 

also  a  letter  to  Governor  Glaiborne.  To  the  governor 
he  declared  his  wish  to  support  and  defend  the  govern 
ment,  and  requested  that  his  past  infractions  of  the 
laws  should  be  overlooked.  He  tendered  his  services 
to  assist  in  defending  the  country,  and  declared,  that 
should  his  offer  not  be  accepted,  he  would  leave  the 
United  States,  that  he  might  not  be  charged  with  as 
sisting  its  enemies. 

The  committee  of  defence  was  convened,  and  the 
papers  laid  before  it ;  and  an  answer  was  returned  to 
Lafitte,  that  his  past  acts  should  be  buried  in  oblivion, 
and  a  request  that  he  should  not  act  until  he  should 
hear  again  from  the  authorities.  No  further  answer, 
however,  was  returned.  The  ship  of  Captain  Lockyer 
and  two  other  vessels  appeared  off  the  pass  at  the 
appointed  time,  and  remained  in  the  vicinity  several 
days ;  but  not  being  met  by  Lafitte,  according  to  the 
agreement,  they  returned  to  their  rendezvous.  The 
elder  Lafitte  was  released  from  confinement,  and  per 
mitted  to  rejoin  his  companions ;  but  no  other  notice 
was  taken  of  the  services  or  offers  of  his  brother — and 
the  next  intelligence  received  from  New  Orleans  was 
that  the  authorities  there  were  fitting  out  an  expedition 
to  capture  or  destroy  the  vessels  of  the  Baratarians. 
On  the  16th  of  September,  this  expedition,  under  Com 
modore  Patterson,  appeared  off  Barataria,  and,  to  the 
astonishment  of  Lafitte,  proceeded  to  take  possession 
of  his  vessels.  He  would  not  suffer  his  men  to  molest 
the  Americans ;  but  ordered  them  to  retire  and  remain 
concealed  until  further  orders.  A  detachment  was 
then  landed,  which  destroyed  their  town.  Though 
thus  treated  as  pirates,  these  brave  men  did  not  oppose 


LAFITTE   JOINS    THE   AMERICANS.  353 

the  officers  of  the  country  to  whom  they  had  offered 
their  services.  They  retired,  and  waited  until  the 
declaration  of  martial  law  at  New  Orleans,  and  the 
certainty  of  an  approaching  invasion,  again  induced 
them  to  make  a  tender  of  their  services.  A  full  par 
don  was  granted  them  by  Governor  Claiborne,  for 
their  numerous  infractions  of  the  revenue  laws ;  and 
Jackson,  persuaded  that  their  assistance  could  not 
fail  of  being  very  useful,  accepted  their  offers.  During 
the  great  battles  they  occupied  prominent  posts,  and 
added  greatly  to  the  strength  and  skill  of  the  American 
army.  On  the  8th  of  January,  some  of  them  were 
stationed  on  the  line,  and  with  distinguished  skill 
served  two  batteries,  which  poured  destruction  upon 
the  advancing  columns.  Some  of  them  were  stationed 

o 

at  Fort  St.  Philip,  where  they  soon  had  an  opportunity 
of  rendering  an  important  service  to  the  country ; 
while  others  were  sent  to  the  fort  of  Petites  Coquilles 
and  the  bayou  St.  John.  Lafitte,  who  had  already 
shown  a  lively  zeal  on  behalf  of  his  adopted  country, 
was,  as  we  have  seen,  despatched  with  Major  Rey 
nolds  to  defend  the  pass  Barataria. 

With  these  arrangements  for  outward  defence, 
there  was  little  room  to  apprehend  or  fear  disaster. 
But  still,  what  a  little  surprised  Jackson,  notwithstand 
ing  all  the  efforts  made  to  prevent  it,  the  enemy  were 
daily  and  constantly  apprised  of  everything  that  trans 
pired  in  the  American  camp.  Every  arrangement 
and  every  change  of  position  was  immediately  com 
municated.  Everything  was  done  by  the  British  com 
manders  to  obtain  this  information  ;  prisoners  were 
bribed,  deserters  examined,  and  even  a  flag  of  truce 
45 


354  NEW   ORLEANS. 

was  disregarded,  and  its  bearer  detained  as  a  prisoner 
by  Admiral  Cochrane,  in  order  if  possible  to  discover 
the  number  of  the  American  forces.  The  precautions 
of  Jackson,  however,  prevented  his  numbers  from  being 
known  even  to  his  own  soldiers.  At  the  close  of  the 
invasion,  a  British  officer  remarked,  "Nothing  was 
kept  a  secret  from  us,  except  your  numbers ;  this,  al 
though  diligently  sought  after,  could  never  be  pro 
cured."  The  vigilance  of  the  general  was  increased, 
and  every  precaution  adopted  to  prevent  any  commu 
nication  by  which  the  slightest  intelligence  should  be 
had  of  his  situation,  already  sufficiently  deplorable. 
Additional  guards  were  posted  along  the  swamp,  on 
both  sides  of  the  Mississippi,  to  arrest  all  intercourse ; 
while  on  the  river,  the  common  highway,  watch-boats 
were  constantly  plying  during  the  night,  in  different 
directions,  so  that  a  log  could  scarcely  float  down  the 
stream  unperceived.  Notwithstanding  every  precau 
tion,  treason  still  discovered  avenues  through  which  to 
project  and  execute  her  nefarious  plans,  and  through 
them  was  constantly  afforded  information  to  the 
enemy,  carried  to  them,  no  doubt,  by  adventurous 
friends,  who  sought  and  effected  their  nightly  passage 
through  the  deepest  parts  of  the  swamp,  where  it  was 
impossible  for  sentinels  to  be  stationed. 

Since  their  landing,  the  enemy  had  been  constantly 
engaged  in  procuring  from  their  shipping  everything 
necessary  to  their  ulterior  designs.  Complete  com 
mand  of  the  lakes,  and  possession  of  a  point  on  the 
margin,  gave  them  uninterrupted  ingress  and  egress, 
and  the  opportunity  of  conveying  whatever  was  wanted, 
in  perfect  safety  to  their  camp.  They  were  thus  en- 


DESTRUCTION    OF   THE   CAROLINE.          355 

gaged  during  the  first  three  days  after  their  arrival, 
and  on  the  night  of  the  26th  they  threw  up  a  battery 
on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  mounted  upon  it  several 
pieces  of  heavy  ordnance.  In  the  morning  a  fire  was 
opened  from  it  on  the  Caroline  schooner,  lying  under 
the  opposite  shore. 

Since  the  battle  of  the  23d,  this  vessel  had  made 
many  unsuccessful  attempts  to  advance  higher  up  the 
stream,  and  nearer  to  the  line,  for  the  double  purpose 
of  its  defence  and  her  own  safety.  These  attempts  to 
remove  her  being  discovered,  the  battery,  mounting 
five  guns,  was  opened  on  her,  discharging  bombs  and 
red-hot  shot.  It  was  spiritedly  answered,  but  with 
little  injury  to  the  battery,  there  being  on  board  but 
one  long  twelve-pounder  that  could  reach.  The  shot 
from  the  battery  soon  set  her  on  fire ;  and  the  flames 
bursting  forth  in  different  places,  and  fast  spreading, 
induced  a  fear  that  the  magazine  would  soon  be 
reached,  and  everything  destroyed.  One  of  the  crew 
being  killed  and  six  wounded,  and  not  a  glimmering 
of  hope  entertained  that  she  could  be  preserved,  Cap 
tain  Henly,  her  commander,  issued  the  orders  for  her 
abandonment.  The  crew  reached  the  shore  in  safety, 
and  a  few  minutes  afterwards  she  blew  up.  Captain 
Henly,  with  his  men,  repaired  to  the  line,  and  offered 
their  services  to  Jackson  as  gunners.  They  were 
gladly  accepted,  and  the  very  next  day  they  had  an 
opportunity  of  showing  that  firmness  and  decision  on 
the  land,  for  which  on  previous  occasions  they  had 
become  distinguished  on  board  of  the  Caroline. 

Sir  Edward  Packenham  had  arrived  on  the  25th, 
and  it  was  by  his  order  that  the  battery  was  erected 


356 


NEW    ORLEANS. 


English  Soldiers  throwing  up  a  Battery. 


which  demolished  the  American  schooner.  Gaining 
confidence  from  his  success,  he  put  his  army  in  motion 
early  on  the  next  morning,  the  28th,  and  advanced 
against  the  American  works.  At  the  distance  of  half 
a  mile,  his  heavy  artillery  opened,  and  quantities  of 
bombs,  balls,  and  Congreve  rockets  were  discharged. 
It  was  a  commencement  of  noise  and  terrific  grandeur, 
which  he  had  probably  calculated  would  excite  a  panic 
in  the  minds  of  the  raw  recruits  of  Jackson's  army, 
and  compel  them  to  surrender,  or  abandon  their  strong 
hold.  But  he  did  not  know  Jackson,  and  he  was  not 
present  on  the  night  of  the  23d,  or  he  might  have 
known  Jackson's  men  better.  They  had  then  afforded 
abundant  proof,  that  whether  disciplined  or  not,  they 
well  knew  how  to  defend  the  honour  and  interests  of 
their  country;  and  had  sufficient  valour  not  to  be 
alarmed  at  the  reality — still  less,  the  semblance  of 
danger.  The  British  r  ckets,  t!  ough  a  kind  of  instru- 


BRITISH    ATTACK    THE    WORKS.  357 

ment  of  destruction  to  which  they,  unskilled  in  the 
science  of  desolating  warfare,  had  been  hitherto  stran 
gers,  excited  no  other  feeling  than  that  which  novelty 
inspires.  At  the  moment,  therefore,  that  the  British 
in  different  columns  were  moving  up,  in  all  the  pomp 
and  parade  of  battle,  preceded  by  these  insignia  of 
terror  more  than  danger,  and  were  expecting  to  be 
hold  their  opponents  tremblingly  retire  and  flee  before 
them,  the  batteries,  well  served  by  the  Baratarians 
and  seamen,  opened,  and  arrested  their  advance. 

The  severest  check  to  their  advance,  however,  was 
given  by  the  sloop  of  war  Louisiana,  which  lay  in  the 
river,  nearly  opposite  the  line  of  defence.  No  sooner 
did  her  commander,  Lieutenant  Thompson,  discover 
the  approach  of  the  columns,  than  warping  his  vessel 
around,  he  brought  her  starboard  guns  to  bear,  and 
worked  them  with  such  effect,  as  soon  to  compel  the 
enemy  to  retreat.  Falling  back  to  a  comparatively 
safe  distance,  they  maintained  the  conflict  with  their 
heavy  artillery  for  seven  hours,  when,  unable  to  make 
a  breach  in  the  line  or  silence  the  fire  from  the  sloop, 
they  abandoned  a  contest  in  which  so  few  advantages 
seemed  to  be  presented. 

The  crew  of  the  Louisiana  was  composed  of  new 
recruits  and  of  discordant  materials, — of  soldiers,  citi 
zens,  and  seamen ;  yet  by  the  activity  of  their  com 
mander,  they  were  so  well  perfected  in  their  duty,  that 
they  already  managed  their  guns  with  the  greatest 
precision  and  certainty  of  effect ;  and  by  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  with  the  aid  of  the  land  batteries, 
had  completely  silenced  and  driven  back  the  enemy. 
Emboldened  by  the  effect  produced  the  day  before  on 


358  NEW   ORLEANS. 


the  Carol! ne,  the  furnaces  of  the  enemy  were  put  in 
operation,  and  many  hot  shot  were  thrown  from  a 
heavy  piece  which  was  placed  behind  and  protected 
by  the  levee.  When  the  enemy  retreated,  those  who 
attempted  to  carry  off  this  piece,  losing  the  protection 
of  the  levee,  were  fairly  exposed  to  the  fire  from  the 
sloop,  and  suffered  greatly  by  it.  In  their  endeavours 
to  remove,  "  I  saw,"  says  Commodore  Patterson,  "  dis 
tinctly,  with  the  aid  of  a  glass,  several  balls  strike  in 
the  midst  of  the  men  who  were  employed  in  dragging 
it  away." 

In  this  engagement,  the  Americans  received  very 
little  injury.  The  Louisiana  sloop,  against  which  the 
most  violent  exertions  were  made,  had  but  a  single 
man  wounded,  by  a  fragment  of  a  shell  which  burst 
over  her  deck.  Their  entire  loss  did  not  exceed  nine 
killed,  and  eight  or  ten  wounded ;  and  this  small  num 
ber  would  have  been  less,  if  the  line  of  defence  had 
been  completely  finished.  The  enemy,  being  more 
exposed,  acting  in  the  open  field,  and  in  range  of  our 
guns,  suffered  considerable  injury.  They  had  at  least 
one  hundred  and  twenty  killed  and  wounded. 


COLONEL    HENDERSON    KILLED.  359 

Of  the  nine  Americans  killed,  six  of  them  were 
shot  without  the  lines.  An  advanced  party  of  the 
British  had  taken  post  behind  a  fence  that  ran  obliquely 
to,  and  not  very  far  from  the  ditch.  Colonel  Hender 
son,  with  a  detachment  of  two  hundred  men,  was  sent 
out  to  dislodge  them.  He  was  ordered  to  march  in 
the  direction  of  the  wood,  and  turning  the  enemy's 
right,  cut  off  his  retreat.  Misunderstanding  the  order, 
the  colonel  proceeded  in  front,  in  the  direction  of  the 
river,  leaving  the  fence  between  him  and  his  enemy, 
and  waded  through  the  water,  which  was  there  nearly 
knee-deep,  until  he  reached  a  dry  knoll,  where  he 
formed  and  attempted  to  execute  his  order.  Being  in 
an  open  and  exposed  situation,  directly  in  front  of  the 
British  party,  he  was  soon  killed  by  a  ball  in  the  head. 
Deprived  of  their  commander,  and  perceiving  their 
situation  hazardous  and  untenable,  the  detachment 
retreated  to  the  line,  with  the  loss  of  their  colonel 
and  five  men. 

While  this  advance  was  being  made,  a  column  of 
the  enemy  threatened  an  attack  on  the  extreme  left  of 
the  American  line.  To  frustrate  the  attempt,  General 
Jackson  ordered  Coffee  with  his  riflemen  to  hasten 
through  the  woods  and  check  their  approach.  The 
enemy,  though  greatly  superior  to  him  in  numbers,  no 
sooner  discovered  his  movement,  than  they  retired 
and  abandoned  the  attack  which  they  had  meditated. 

Frequent  light  skirmishes  by  advanced  parties, 
without  material  effect  on  either  side,  were  the  only 
incidents  that  took  place  for  several  days.  Colonel 
Hinds,  at  the  head  of  the  Mississippi  dragoons,  on  the 
30th  of  December,  was  ordered  to  dislodge  a  party 
28 


360  NEW   ORLEANS. 

of  the  enemy,  who,  under  cover  of  a  ditch  that  ran 
across  the  plain,  were  annoying  the  American  fatigue 
parties.  In  this  advance  he  was  unexpectedly  thrown 
into  an  ambuscade,  and  became  exposed  to  the  fire 
of  a  line  which  had  hitherto  lain  concealed  and  un 
observed.  His  collected  conduct  and  gallant  deport 
ment  extricated  him  from  the  danger  in  which  he  was 
placed,  and  gained  him  and  his  corps  the  approbation 
of  the  commanding  general.  The  enemy,  forced 
from  their  position,  retired,  and  he  returned  to  the 
line  with  the  loss  of  five  of  his  men. 

Though  foiled  in  their  attack  on  the  28th,  the  Bri 
tish  resolved  to  attempt  another,  and  one  which  they 
believed  would  be  more  successful.  Presuming  their 
failure  to  have  arisen  from  not  having  sufficiently 
strong  batteries  and  heavy  ordnance,  a  more  enlarged 
arrangement  was  resorted  to,  with  a  determination  to 
silence  opposition,  and  make  such  breaches  in  the  en 
trenchment  as  would  enable  their  columns  to  pass, 
without  being  exposed  to  any  considerable  hazard. 
The  time  between  the  28th  of  December  and  1st  of 
January  was  accordingly  spent  in  preparing  to  exe 
cute  their  designs.  Their  boats  had  been  despatched 
to  the  shipping,  and  an  additional  supply  of  heavy 
cannon  landed  through  the  Bayou'Bienvenu,  whence 
they  had  first  debarked. 

During  the  night  of  the  31st  of  December  they 
were  busily  engaged.  They  erected  three  batteries 
on  the  edge  of  a  ditch,  within  six  hundred  yards  of  the 
line,  on  which  they  mounted  eighteen  and  twenty-four 
pound  carronades.  A  thick  fog  next  morning,  which 
was  not  dispelled  until  eight  o'clock,  by  concealing 


BRITISH    ERECT  BATTERIES.  301 

their  purpose,  aided  them  in  the  plans  they  were  pro 
jecting,  and  gave  time  for  the  completion  of  their 
works.  As  soon  as  it  was  sufficiently  clear  to  distin 
guish  objects  at  a  distance,  they  opened  these  batte 
ries  on  the  American  lines,  and  a  tremendous  burst 
of  artillery  commenced,  accompanied  *  vith  Congreve 
rockets,  which  filled  the  air  in  every  direction.  The 
Americans,  protected  by  a  defence  which  they  now 
believed  to  be  impregnable,  unmoved  and  undisturbed, 
maintained  their  ground,  and  in  the  end,  by  their 
skilful  management,  succeeded  in  dismounting  and 
silencing  the  guns  of  the  enemy. 

The  British,  through  the  friendly  interference  of 
some  traitor,  having  been  apprised  that  the  general 
had  established  his  head  quarters  in  a  house  at  a  small 
distance  in  the  rear  of  his  line  of  defence,  directed 
against  it  their  first  and  principal  efforts,  with  the  view 
of  destroying  the  commander.  So  great  was  the 
number  of  balls  thrown,  that  in  a  short  time  its  porti 
coes  were  beaten  down,  and  the  building  made  a  com 
plete  wreck.  In  this  dishonourable  design  they  were, 
however,  disappointed ;  for,  with  Jackson  it  was  a 
constant  practice,  on  the  first  appearance  of  danger, 
not  to  wait  in  his  quarters,  watching  events,  but  in 
stantly  to  proceed  to  the  line,  and  be  ready  to  order 
the  defence  as  circumstances  might  require.  Con 
stantly  in  expectation  of  a  charge,  he  was  never  absent 
from  the  post  of  danger ;  and  thither  he  had  this 
morning  repaired,  at  the  first  sound  of  the  cannon,  to 
direct  the  defence,  and  inspire  his  troops  with  firmness. 

As  soon  as  the  new  batteries  could  be  seen,  the 
American  guns  along  the  whole  line  opened  to  repel 
46 


362  NEW    ORLEANS. 

the  assault,  and  a  constant  roar  of  cannon  on  both 
sides  continued  until  nearly  noon,  when  the  batteries 
on  the  right  were  nearly  beaten  down,  and  many  of  the 
guns  dismounted,  broken,  and  rendered  useless.  That 
next  the  river  continued  its  fire  until  three  o'clock, 
whqn,  perceiving  all  attempts  to  force  a  breach 
ineffectual,  the  enemy  gave  up  the  contest  and  retired. 

That  they  should  have  been  again  repulsed,  seems 
never  to  have  entered  the  minds  of  the  assailants.  So 
confident  were  they  of  success  in  this  attack,  that 
early  in  the  morning  their  soldiers  were  arrayed  along 
the  ditches,  in  rear  of  their  batteries,  prepared  and 
ready  to  advance  to  the  charge  the  moment  a  breach 
could  be  made.  There,  by  their  situation  protected 
from  danger,  they  remained  waiting  the  result  that 
should  call  them  to  act.  But  their  efforts  not  having 
produced  the  desired  effect,  they  abandoned  the  con 
test  and  retired  to  their  camp,  leaving  their  batteries 
almost  destroyed. 

Early  in  the  day,  Packenham  made  another  attempt 
to  turn  the  American  left.  He  ordered  some  platoons 
of  sharp-shooters  to  enter  the  woods,  and  by  pene 
trating  into  the  swamp,  to  gain  the  flank  of  the  Ameri 
cans.  In  this  way  it  was  expected  a  diversion  could 
be  made,  while  the  reserve  columns,  being  in  readiness 
and  waiting,  were  to  press  forward  the  moment  this 
object  could  be  effected.  Here  too  he  was  disappointed. 
Coffee's  brigade  being  already  extended  into  the  swamp 
as  far  as  it  was  possible  for  an  advancing  party  to 
penetrate,  brought  unexpected  dangers  into  view,  and 
occasioned  an  abandonment  of  the  project. 

That  to  turn  the  extreme  left  of  the  line  was  prac- 


DEFENCE    OF    THE    SWAMP.  363 

ticable,  and  might  be  attempted,  was  the  subject  of 
early  consideration,   and   necessary  precaution    had 
been  taken  to  prevent  it.     Although  cutting  the  levee 
had  raised  the  waters  in  the  swamp,  and  increased 
the  difficulties  of  keeping  troops  there,  yet  a  fear  lest 
this  pass  might  be  sought  by  the  enemy,  and  the  rear 
of  the  line  thereby  gained,  had  determined  the  gene 
ral  to  extend  his  defence  even  here.     This  had  been 
intrusted  to  General  Coffee ;  and  surely  a  more  ar 
duous  duty  can  scarcely  be  imagined.     To  form  a 
breastwork  in  such  a  place  was  attended  with  many 
difficulties  and  considerable  exposure.     A  slight  de 
fence,  however,  had  been  thrown  up,  and  the  under 
wood  for  thirty  or  forty  yards  in  front  cut  down,  that 
the  riflemen  stationed  for  its  protection  might  have 
a  complete  view  of  any  force  which  through  this  route 
might  attempt  a  passage.     When  it  is  recollected  that 
this  position  was  to  be  maintained  night  and  day,  un 
certain  of  the  moment  of  attack,  and  that  the  only 
opportunity  afforded  the  troops  for  rest  was  on  logs 
and  brush  thrown  together,  by  which  they  were  raised 
above  the  surrounding  water,  it  may  be  truly  said, 
that  seldom  has  it  fallen  to  the  lot  of  any  to  encounter 
greater  hardships.    But,  accustomed  to  privation,  and 
alive  to  those  feelings  which  a  love  of  country  inspires, 
they  obeyed  without  complaining,  and  cheerfully  kept 
their  position  on  their  floating  logs,  until  all  danger 
had  subsided.     Sensible  of  the  importance  of  the  point 
they  defended,  and  that  it  was  necessary  to  be  main 
tained,  be  the  sacrifice  what  it  might,  they  looked  to 
nothing  but  a  zealous  and  faithful  discharge  of  the 
trust  confided  to  them. 
28* 


364  NEW   ORLEANS. 

The  American  loss  on  the  first  of  January,  1815, 
was  eleven  killed  and  twenty-three  wounded ;  that  of 
the  enemy  was  never  correctly  ascertained.  It  is 
presumed  to  have  been  at  least  seventy. 

The  enemy's  heavy  shot  having  penetrated  the 
intrenchment  in  many  places,  it  was  discovered  not 
to  be  as  strong  as  it  was  at  first  imagined.  Fatigue 
parties  were  again  employed,  and  its  strength  daily 
increased.  Cotton-bags  were  made  use  of  to  strengthen 
and  defend  the  embrasures  along  the  line.  A  French 
man,  whose  property  had  been  thus  seized,  fearful  of 
the  injury  it  might  sustain,  proceeded  in  person  to 
General  Jackson  to  reclaim  it.  The  general  having 
heard  his  complaint,  and  ascertained  from  him  that 
he  was  not  employed  in  any  military  service,  directed 
a  musket  to  be  brought  to  him,  when  placing  it  in  his 
hand,  and  pointing  to  the  cotton-bales  in  the  breast 
work,  replied,  "  There  is  your  property.  I  know  no 
body  that  has  any  better  right  than  you  to  defend  it." 

Both  armies  were  in  daily  expectation  of  consider 
able  reinforcements;  and  they  now  were  busily  and 
constantly  engaged  in  preparations  for  the  approach 
ing  struggle. 

The  position  of  the  American  army  was  in  the 
rear  of  an  intrenchment  formed  of  earth,  and  which 
extended  in  a  straight  line  from  the  river  to  a  consi 
derable  distance  within  the  swamp.  In  front  was  a 
deep  ditch,  which  had  formerly  been  used  as  a  mill- 
race.  The  Mississippi  had  receded  and  left  this  dry. 
next  the  river,  though  in  many  places  the  water  still 
remained.  Along  the  line  and  at  unequal  distances, 
to  the  centre  of  General  Carroll's  command,  were 


JACKSON'S    SECOND   LINE.  367 

guns  mounted  of  different  calibre,  from  six  to  thirty- 
two  pounders.  Near  the  river,  and  in  advance  of  the 
intrenchment,  was  erected  a  redoubt  with  embrasures, 
commanding  the  road  along  the  levee,  and  calculated 
to  rake  the  ditch  in  front.  This  redoubt  was  defended 
by  a  company  of  the  seventh  regiment,  under  the 
command  of  Lieutenant  Ross.  The  regular  troops 
occupied  that  part  of  the  intrenchment  next  the  river. 
General  Carroll's  division  of  Tennessee  militia  was  in 
the  centre,  who,  after  the  4th  of  January,  were  sup 
ported  by  the  Kentucky  troops  under  General  John 
Adair ;  while  the  extreme  left,  extending  for  a  consi 
derable  distance  into  the  swamp,  was  protected  by  the 
brigade  of  General  Coffee.  General  Jackson,  in  per 
son,  commanded  the  whole  of  this  line. 

To  be  prepared  against  every  possible  contingency 
that  might  arise,  he  had  established  another  line  of 
defence,  about  two  miles  in  the  rear  of  the  one  at 
present  occupied,  which  was  intended  as  a  rallying 
point,  if  he  should  be  driven  from  his  first  position. 
With  the  aid  of  his  cavalry,  to  give  a  momentary 
check  to  the  advance  of  the  enemy,  he  expected  to  be 
able,  with  inconsiderable  injury,  to  reach  it ;  where  he 
would  again  have  advantages  on  his  side,  be  in  a  situa 
tion  to  dispute  a  further  passage  to  the  city,  and  arrest 
their  progress.  To  inspirit  his  own  soldiers,  and  to 
exhibit  to  the  enemy  as  great  a  show  as  possible  of 
strength  and  intended  resistance,  his  unarmed  troops, 
who  constituted  no  very  inconsiderable  number,  were 
here  stationed.  All  intercourse  between  the  lines, 
except  by  confidential  officers,  was  prohibited,  and 
every  precaution  employed,  not  only  to  keep  this  want 


368 


NEW    ORLEANS, 


Erection  of  Morgan's  Battery. 


of  preparation  concealed  from  the  enemy,  but  even 
from  being  known  on  his  own  lines. 

The  position  of  General  Morgan,  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  river,  was  formed  on  the  same  plan  with  the 
line  on  the  left — lower  down  than  that  on  the  left,  and 
extending  towards  the  swamp,  at  right  angles  to  the 
river.  The  defences  here  were  not  strong ;  but,  if 
properly  maintained  by  the  troops  selected  to  defend 
them,  were  believed  fully  adequate  to  the  purpose  of 
successful  resistance.  Besides  being  strengthened  by 
several  brass  twelve-pounders,  Morgan's  line  was  de 
fended  by  a  strong  battery,  mounting  twenty-four 
pounders,  directed  by  Commodore  Patterson. 

On  the  4th  of  January,  the  long-expected  reinforce 
ment  from  Kentucky,  amounting  to  two  thousand  two 
hundred  and  fifty  men,  under  the  command  of  Major- 
General  Thomas,  arrived  at  head  quarters,  but  so  ill- 
provided  with  arms  as  to  be  incapable  of  rendering 


REINFORCEMENTS.  369 

any  considerable  service.  The  alacrity  with  which 
the  citizens  of  this  state  had  proceeded  to  the  frontiers 
and  aided  in  the  north-western  campaigns,  added  to 
the  disasters  which  ill-timed  policy  or  misfortune  had 
produced,  had  created  such  a  drain,  that  arms  were 
not  to  be  procured.  They  had  advanced,  however,  to 
their  point  of  destination,  with  an  expectation  of  being 
supplied  on  their  arrival.  About  five  hundred  of  them 
had  muskets ;  the  rest  were  provided  with  guns,  from 
which  little  or  no  advantage  could  be  expected.  The 
Mayor  of  New  Orleans,  at  the  request  of  General 
Jackson,  had  already  examined  and  drawn  from  the 
city  every  weapon  -that  could  be  found ;  while  the  ar 
rival  of  the  Louisiana  militia,  in  an  equally  unprepared 
situation,  rendered  it  impossible  for  the  evil  to  be 
effectually  remedied.  The  five  hundred  were  divided, 
part  of  them  being  placed  on  the  line  with  General 
Carroll,  while  the  remainder  were  stationed  on  the 
right  bank  with  General  Morgan.  No  alternative  was 
presented  to  Jackson  but  to  place  the  remaining 
seventeen  hundred  and  fifty  at  his  intrenchment  in  the 
rear,  conceal  their  actual  condition,  and  by  the  show 
they  might  make,  add  to  his  appearance  and  numbers, 
without  at  all  increasing  his  strength. 

Information  was  now  received  that  Major-General 
Lambert  had  joined  General  Packenham  with  a  con 
siderable  reinforcement.  It  had  been  heretofore  an 
nounced  in  the  American  camp  that  additional  forces 
were  expected,  and  something  decisive  might  be  looked 
for  as  soon  as  they  should  arrive.  This  circumstance, 
in  connexion  with  others  no  less  favouring  the  idea, 
had  led  to  the  conclusion  that  a  few  days  more  would 
47 


370  NEW    ORLEANS. 

in  all  probability  bring  on  the  struggle  which  would 
decide  the  fate  of  the  city.  It  was  more  than  ever 
necessary  to  keep  concealed  the  situation  of  Jackson's 
army,  and,  above  all,  to  preserve  as  secret  as  possi 
ble  its  unarmed  condition.  To  restrict  all  communi 
cation  even  between  his  own  lines  was  now,  as  danger 
increased,  rendered  more  important.  None  were  per 
mitted  to  leave  the  line,  and  none  from  without  to  pass 
into  his  camp,  but  such  as  might  be  implicitly  confided 
in.  The  line  of  sentinels  was  strengthened  in  front, 
that  none  might  pass  to  the  enemy,  should  desertion 
be  attempted.  Still,  notwithstanding  every  precaution 
and  all  his  care,  his  plans  and  situation  were  disclosed. 
On  the  night  of  the  6th,  a  soldier  from  the  line  by 
some  means  succeeded  in  eluding  the  vigilance  of  the 
sentinels.  Early  next  morning  his  departure  was  dis 
covered,  and  it  was  at  once  correctly  conjectured  that 
he  had  gone  over  to  the  enemy,  and  would,  no  doubt, 
afford  them  all  the  information  in  his  power  to  com 
municate.  This  opinion,  as  subsequent  circumstances 
disclosed,  was  well  founded;  and  dearly  did  the  deserter 
atone  for  his  crime.  He  unfolded  to  the  British  the 
situation  of  the  American  line,  the  late  reinforcements 
which  had  arrived,  and  the  unarmed  condition  of  some 
of  the  troops ;  but  fortunately  he  himself  was  ignorant 
of  the  extent  of  this  evil ;  and  then,  pointing  to  the 
centre  of  General  Carroll's  division  as  a  place  occu 
pied  only  by  militia,  recommended  it  as  the  point 
where  an  attack  might  be  most  prudently  and  safely 
made. 

During  the  7th,  a  constant  bustle  was  perceived  in 
the  British  camp.     Along  the  borders  of  the  canal 


DEFENCE   OF  THE   RIGHT   BANK.  371 

their  soldiers  were  continually  in  motion,  marching 
and  mano3uvring,  seemingly  for  no  other  purpose  than 
to  conceal  something  behind.  To  ascertain  the  cause 
of  this  uncommon  stir,  Commodore  Patterson  proceeded 
down  the  river,  on  the  opposite  side,  and  having  gained 
a  favourable  position  in  front  of  their  encampment, 
discovered  them  to  be  engaged  in  deepening  the  canal, 
and  widening  the  passage  to  the  river.  It  was  no 
difficult  matter  to  divine  their  purpose.  No  other  con 
jecture  could  be  entertained,  than  that  an  assault  was 
intended  to  be  made  on  the  line  of  defence,  commanded 
by  General  Morgan ;  which,  if  gained,  would  expose  the 
troops  on  the  left  bank  to  the  fire  of  the  redoubt  erected 
on  the  right ;  and  in  this  way  compel  them  to  an  aban 
donment  of  their  position.  It  was  important  to  coun 
teract  this  scheme;  and  measures  were  immediately 
taken  to  prevent  the  execution  of  a  plan  which,  if 
successful,  would  be  attended  with  incalculable  dangers. 
An  increased  strength  was  given  to  the  menaced  line, 
the  second  regiment  of  Louisiana  militia  being  sent 
across  the  river  to  defend  it.  Four  hundred  of  the 
Kentucky  militia  were  also  ordered  over,  but  owing 
to  the  difficulty  of  procuring  arms  for  them,  only  one 
hundred  and  eighty  crossed,  and  they  did  not  arrive 
till  the  morning  of  the  8th.  A  little  before  daylight 
on  that  day  they  were  despatched  to  aid  an  advanced 
party,  which,  under  the  command  of  Major  Arnaud, 
had  been  sent  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  enemy, 
and  oppose  their  landing. 

On  the  left  bank,  where  the  general  in  person  com 
manded,  everything  was  ready  for  the  assault  when 
it  should  be  made.  Unmoved  by  appearances,  he 


372  NEW    ORLEANS. 

anxiously  desired  a  contest,  which  he  believed  would 
give  a  triumph  to  his  arms,  and  terminate  the  hard 
ships  of  his  suffering  soldiers.  Unremitting  in  exer 
tion,  and  constantly  vigilant,  his  precaution  kept  pace 
with  the  zeal  and  preparation  of  the  enemy.  He  sel 
dom  slept ;  he  was  always  at  his  post,  performing  the 
duties  of  both  general  and  soldier.  His  sentinels  were 
doubled,  and  extended  as  far  as  possible  in  the  direction 
of  the  British  camp ;  while  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  troops  were  constantly  at  the  line,  with  arms  in 
their  hands,  ready  to  act  on  the  first  alarm. 

For  six  days  had  the  two  armies  lain  upon  the 
same  field,  and  in  view  of  each  other,  without  any 
thing  decisive  being  effected  on  either  side.  Twice 
since  their  landing  had  the  British  columns  essayed 
to  effect  by  storm  the  execution  of  their  plans,  and 
twice  had  failed — had  been  compelled  to  relinquish 
the  attempt,  and  retire,  beaten,  from  the  contest.  It 
was  not  to  be  expected  that  things  could  long  remain 
in  this  dubious  state.  Soldiers,  the  pride  of  England, 
the  boasted  conquerors  of  Europe,  were  there ;  dis 
tinguished  generals  their  leaders,  who  earnestly  desired 
to  announce  to  their  country  and  to  the  world  their 
signal  achievements.  The  army  was  splendid  in  all 
its  appointments,  from  the  grand  park  of  artillery, 
down  to  the  general  band  of  musicians.  The  expecta 
tions  which  had  been  indulged  of  the  success  of  this 
expedition,  were  to  be  realized  at  every  peril,  or  dis 
grace  would  follow  the  failure. 

The  8th  of  January  at  length  arrived.  The  day 
dawned ;  and  the  signals  intended  to  produce  concert 
in  the  enemy's  movements  were  descried.  On  the 


THE    EIGHTH   OF    JANUARY. 


373 


f*r*£ 

General  Packenham's  band. 


left,  near  the  swamp,  a  sky-rocket  was  perceived  rising 
in  the  air ;  and  presently  another  ascended  from  the 
right,  next  the  river.  They  were  intended  to  announce 
that  all  was  prepared  and  ready,  to  proceed  and  carry 
by  storm  a  defence  which  had  twice  foiled  their  ut 
most  efforts.  Instantly  the  charge  was  made,  and 
with  such  rapidity,  that  the  soldiers  at  the  outposts 
with  difficulty  fled  in. 

The  British  hatteries  which  had  been  demolished 
on  the  first  of  the  month,  had  been  re-established 


374  NEW   ORLEANS. 

during  the  preceding  night,  and  heavy  pieces  of  cannon 
mounted,  to  aid  in  their  intended  operations.  These 
now  opened,  and  showers  of  bombs  and  balls  were 
poured  upon  the  American  line;  while  the  air  was 
lighted  with  Congreve  rockets.  The  two  divisions, 
commanded  by  Sir  Edward  Packenham  in  person,  and 
supported  by  Generals  Keane  and  Gibbs,  pressed  for 
ward  ;  the  right  against  the  centre  of  General  Carroll's 
command,  the  left  against  the  redoubt  on  the  levee. 
A  thick  fog,  that  obscured  the  morning,  enabled  them 
to  approach  within  a  short  distance  of  the  intrench- 
ment  before  they  were  discovered.  "Jackson  then 
beheld  the  long  columns  advancing,  their  scarlet  and 
steel  glittering  in  the  morning  light,  like  the  scales  of 
two  large  crested  dragons  coming  up  out  of  the  sea 
to  devour  him.  Now  and  then  a  sky-rocket  shot  into 
the  air  made  wild  music  with  the  elements.  The 
first  ball  that  passed  him,  Jackson  saluted, — 'Welcome, 
thou  first  visiter  from  a  British  mortar,  long  have  I 
sought  to  meet  you, — now  is  our  day  of  reckoning.' 
Slowly  and  steadily  the  long  columns  advanced.  All 
was  silence  behind  the  parapets ;  yonder  is  one  waving 
his  port-fire  in  the  air  to  keep  it  glowing;  yonder  is 
a  long  line,  with  hands  on  the  lock,  ready  for  the  word; 
there  stands  Jackson  like  Mars's  statue,  his  eyes  gla 
ring  fire,  and  his  drawn  sword  ready  to  wave  a  deadly 
salute.  Presently  the  air  is  rent,  and  it  rains  down 
on  the  devoted  columns  hail  and  fire  and  brimstone, 
such  as  was  not  known  since  the  days  of  Sodom — it 
seemed  as  if  the  earth  belched  forth  thunder,  and 
opened  her  devouring  jaws  to  swallow  them.  Behold 


THE    EIGHTH    OF    JANUARY.  377 

yon  long  line  of  glittering  scarlet  and  steel — anon, 
srnoke,  and  cries,  and  consternation."* 

The  front  ranks  of  the  British  were  mowed  down, 
and  their  advance  arrested.  In  the  American  musketry 
there  was  not  a  moment's  intermission :  as  one  com 
pany  discharged  their  pieces  another  succeeded;  al 
ternately  loading  and  appearing,  no  pause  could  be 
perceived — it  was  one  continued  volley,  one  continuous 
stream  of  fire.  Batteries  Nos.  6,  7,  and  8,  immediately 
in  front  of  the  advancing  column,  were  ably  served, 
and  galled  them  with  an  incessant  and  destructive 
fire.  Notwithstanding  the  severity  of  this  fire,  which 
few  troops  could  for  a  moment  have  withstood,  some 
of  those  brave  men  pressed  on,  and  succeeded  in  gam 
ing  the  ditch  in  front  of  the  works,  where  they  re 
mained  during  the  action,  and  were  afterwards  made 
prisoners.  The  horror  before  them  was  too  great  to 
be  withstood ;  and  already  were  the  British  troops 
seen  wavering  in  their  determination,  and  receding 
from  the  conflict.  "  In  that  wild  revelry,  Jackson's 
men  seemed  not  living  men  of  flesh  and  blood,  but  the 
spirits  of  some  departed  generation,  playing  with  the 
cannon  and  the  musketry ;  none  fell,  none  faltered. 
That  is  not  Jackson  gliding  like  a  shadow  in  the  flame 
and  smoke — it  is  the  spirit  of  his  father — his  murdered 
brother — it  is  the  spirit  of  his  mother  coming  from 
her  long-lost  grave,  and  waving  the  death-torch  in 
frantic  joy  over  the  heads  of  her  dying  murderers. 
Ah!  Packenham,  your  boots  are  muddy  now,  who 
will  clean  them  ?  Go,  Lambert,  to  the  prison-boy  of 

*  Garland's  Eulogy. 
48 


378 


NEW    ORLEANS. 


Fall  of  General  Gibbs. 


Camden,  he  will  tell  you  how  to  minister  to  the  wants 
of  the  sick,  the  wounded  and  the  prisoner !  Gibbs  can 
tell  how  a  magnanimous  soul  can  act  towards  a  fallen 
foe  !"* 

But  the  British  were  wavering,  and  thinking  of 
flight.  At  this  instant,  Sir  Edward  Packenham,  has 
tening  to  the  front,  endeavoured  to  encourage  and 
inspire  them  with  renewed  zeal.  His  example  was  of 
short  continuance :  he  soon  fell  mortally  wounded  in 
the  arms  of  an  aid-de-camp,  not  far  from  the  ditch. 
Generals  Gibbs  and  Keane  also  fell,  arid  were  borne 
from  the  field  dangerously  wounded.  At  this  moment 

*  Garland's  Eulogy. 


THE    EIGHTH    OF    JANUARY.  379 

General  Lambert,  who  was  advancing  with  the  reserve 
at  a  small  distance  in  the  rear,  met  the  columns  pre 
cipitately  retreating,  and  in  great  confusion.  His 
efforts  to  stop  them  were  unavailing.  They  continued 
retreating  until  they  reached  a  ditch,  at  the  distance 
of  four  hundred  yards,  where  a  momentary  safety 
being  found,  they  were  rallied  and  halted. 

The  field  before  them,  over  which  they  had  ad 
vanced,  was  strewed  with  the  dead  and  dying.  Dan 
ger  still  hovered  around ;  yet  urged  and  encouraged 
by  their  officers,  who  feared  their  own  disgrace  in 
volved  in  the  failure,  they  again  moved  to  the  charge. 
They  were  already  near  enough  to  deploy,  and  were 
endeavouring  to  do  so;  but  the  same  constant  and 
unremitted  resistance  that  caused  their  first  retreat, 
continued  yet  unabated.  The  batteries  had  never 
ceased  their  fire ;  their  constant  discharges  of  grape 
and  canister,  and  the  fatal  aim  of  the  musketry,  mowed 
down  the  front  of  the  columns  as  fast  as  they  could 
be  formed.  Satisfied  that  nothing  could  be  done,  and 
that  certain  destruction  awaited  all  further  attempts, 
they  forsook  the  contest  and  the  field  in  disorder,  leav 
ing  it  almost  entirely  covered  with  the  dead  and 
wounded.  It  was  in  vain  their  officers  endeavoured 
10  animate  them  to  further  resistance,  and  equally 
vain  to  attempt  coercion.  The  panic  produced  from 
the  dreadful  repulse  they  had  experienced,  the  plain 
on  which  they  had  acted  being  covered  with  innumera 
ble  bodies  of  their  countrymen,  while  with  their  most 
zealous  exertions  they  had  been  unable  to  obtain  the 
slightest  advantage,  were  circumstances  well  calculated 
29* 


380  NEW    ORLEANS. 

to  make  even  the  most  submissive  soldier  oppose  the 
authority  that  would  have  controlled  him. 

In  the  meantime  the  left  of  General  Keane'c  divi 
sion,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Rennie,  proceeded 
against  the  redoubt  on  the  right  of  the  American  line. 
They  marched  under  cover  of  some  chimneys  stand 
ing  in  the  field,  until  they  cleared  them,  when  they 
obliqued  to  the  river,  and,  protected  by  the  levee,  ad 
vanced  until  they  arrived  at  the  ditch.  Their  advance 
was  greatly  annoyed  by  Commodore  Patterson's  bat 
tery  on  the  right  bank,  and  the  cannon  mounted  on 
the  redoubt ;  but,  reaching  the  works  and  passing  the 
ditch,  Rennie,  sword  in  hand,  leaped  on  the  wall,  and 
calling  to  his  troops,  bade  them  follow.  He  had 
scarcely  spoken,  when  he  fell  by  the  fatal  aim  of  a 
rifleman.  Pressed  by  the  impetuosity  of  superior 
numbers,  who  were  mounting  the  wall  and  entering  at 
the  embrasures,  the  Americans  retired  to  the  line,  in 
the  rear  of  the  redoubt.  A  momentary  pause  ensued, 
but  only  to  be  interrupted  with  increased  horrors. 
Captain  Beal,  with  the  city  riflemen,  cool  and  self- 
possessed,  perceiving  the  enemy  in  his  front,  opened 
upon  them,  and  at  every  discharge  brought  the  object 
to  the  ground.  To  advance  or  maintain  the  point 
gained  was  equally  impracticable  for  the  enemy.  To 
retreat  or  surrender  was  the  only  alternative  ;  for  they 
already  saw  the  division  on  the  right  thrown  into  con 
fusion,  and  hastily  leaving  the  field. 

As  soon  as  the  enemy  retired  on  the  left,  General 
Jackson  pressed  forward  reinforcements  to  the  right 
of  his  line,  with  orders  to  regain  the  redoubt.  Previ 
ously  to  their  arrival,  the  enemy  had  abandoned  the 


THE    EIGHTH    OF    JANUARY.  383 

attempt,  and  were  retiring.  They  were  severely  galled 
by  such  of  the  guns  as  could  be  brought  to  bear.  The 
levee  afforded  them  considerable  protection ;  yet,  by 
Commodore  Patterson's  redoubt  on  the  right  bank, 
they  suffered  greatly.  Enfiladed  by  this  on  their  ad 
vance,  they  had  been  greatly  annoyed ;  and  now,  in 
their  retreat,  were  no  less  severely  assailed.  Numbers 
found  a  grave  in  the  ditch  before  the  intrenchments ; 
and  the  route  along  which  they  had  advanced  and  re 
tired  was  strewed  with  bodies.  Affrighted  at  the  car 
nage,  they  moved  from  the  scene  hastily  and  in  con 
fusion.  The  batteries  still  continued  th@  slaughter, 
cutting  them  down  at  every  step ;  safety  seemed  only 
to  be  attainable  beyond  the  range  of  the  cannon; 
which,  to  troops  so  severely  galled,  was  too  remote  a 
relief.  Urged  by  this  consideration,  they  fled  to  the 
ditch,  whither  the  right  division  had  retreated,  and 
there  remained  until  the  darkness  of  night  permitted 
them  to  retire.  The  want  of  arms  for  his  men  alone 
prevented  Jackson  from  pursuing  the  enemy,  and  gain 
ing  a  complete  victory  by  the  capture  of  the  whole 
British  army. 

While  the  enemy  thus  attempted  to  storm  the  lines 
of  defence  on  the  left,  Colonel  Thornton,  with  eight 
hundred  chosen  troops,  advanced  on  the  line  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  river.  Major  Arnaud  with  two 
hundred  men  had  been  despatched  on  the  night  of  the 
7th  to  oppose  the  landing  of  the  enemy ;  but  he  failed 
in  his  duty,  did  not  approach  the  landing-place,  but 
waited  till  he  heard  them  approach  to  the  attack,  and 
then  fled  towards  the  lines.  The  Kentucky  troops, 
having  reached  Morgan  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning 


384  NEW   ORLEANS. 

of  the  8th,  were  sent  to  aid  Major  Arnaud.  Major 
Davis,  who  commanded,  soon  met  the  Louisianians 
retiring,  prevailed  on  them  to  make  a  stand,  and  the 
two  detachments  united  formed  behind  a  mill-race. 
Davis  with  his  two  hundred  Kentuckians  formed  on 
the  road  next  the  river,  supported  by  the  Louisiana 
militia  on  the  right.  The  enemy  appearing,  their 
approach  was  resisted,  and  a  warm  and  spirited  oppo 
sition  for  some  time  maintained.  A  momentary  check 
was  given.  The  British  again  advanced  and  again 
received  a  heavy  fire.  At  this  moment,  General 
Morgan's  aid-de-camp,  who  was  present,  perceiving 
the  steady  advance  of  the  enemy,  and  fearing  for  the 
safety  of  the  troops,  ordered  a  retreat.  Confusion 
was  the  consequence — order  could  not  be  maintained, 
and  the  whole  fled  in  haste  to  Morgan's  line.  Arri 
ving  in  safety,  though  much  exhausted,  they  were 
immediately  directed  to  form  on  the  right  of  the  line, 
and  extend  themselves  to  the  swamp,  to  prevent  the 
enemy  from  turning  the  right  flank. 

Colonel  Thornton  advanced  to  the  attack  in  two 
divisions,  against  the  extreme  right  and  centre  of  the 
line.  A  severe  discharge  from  the  field-pieces  sta 
tioned  along  the  line  caused  the  right  column  to  oblique 
and  unite  with  the  left,  when  they  proceeded  together 
towards  the  point  occupied  by  the  Kentucky  troops. 
Perceiving  themselves  thus  exposed,  and  not  having 
yet  recovered  from  the  emotions  produced  by  their 
first  retreat,  they  began  to  give  way,  and  very  soon 
entirely  abandoned  their  position.  The  Louisiana 
militia  gave  a  few  fires,  and  followed  their  example. 
Through  the  exertions  of  the  officers,  a  momentary 


THE    EIGHTH    OF    JANUARY.  385 

halt  was  effected ;  but  a  burst  of  Congreve  rockets, 
falling  thickly  and  setting  fire  to  the  sugar-cane  and 
other  combustibles  around,  again  excited  their  fears, 
and  they  moved  hastily  away ;  nor  could  they  be  again 
rallied,  until  at  the  distance  of  two  miles,  having  reached 
a  mill-race,  they  were  formed  and  placed  in  an  atti 
tude  of  defence.  When  the  militia  forsook  their 
posts,  Commodore  Patterson,  perceiving  that  he  could 
no  longer  maintain  his  position,  spiked  his  guns,  de 
stroyed  his  ammunition,  and  retired  from  a  post  where 
he  had  rendered  the  most  important  services. 

Fearful  lest  the  guns  might  be  unspiked  and  brought 
to  operate  against  him,  General  Jackson  hastened  to 
throw  detachments  across,  with  orders  to  regain  the 
redoubt  at  all  hazards.  To  the  troops  on  the  right 
bank,  he  forwarded  an  address,  with  a  view  to  excite 
them  to  deeds  of  valour,  and  inspirit  them  to  exertions 
that  should  wipe  off  the  reproach  they  had  drawn 
upon  themselves.  Previously,  however,  to  their  being 
in  readiness  to  act,  he  succeeded,  by  stratagem,  in  re- 
obtaining  it,  and  thus  spared  the  effusion  of  blood 
which  would  have  been  necessary  to  its  accomplish 
ment. 

The  American  effective  force  at  the  line,  on  the 
left  bank,  was  three  thousand  seven  hundred ;  that  of 
the  enemy  at  least  nine  thousand.  The  loss  of  the 
British  in  the  main  attack,  on  the  left  bank,  has  been 
at  different  times  variously  stated.  The  killed, 
wounded,  and  prisoners,  ascertained  on  the  day  after 
the  battle  by  Colonel  Hayne,  the  inspector-general, 
makes  it  twenty-six  hundred.  General  Lambert's  re 
port  to  Lord  Bathurst  makes  it  but  two  thousand  and 
49 


386  NEW    ORLEANS. 

seventy.  From  prisoners,  however,  and  information 
derived  through  other  sources,  it  must  have  been  even 
greater  than  is  stated  by  either.  Among  them  was 
the  commander-in-chief,  and  Major-General  Gibbs, 
who  died  of  his  wounds  the  next  day,  besides  many 
of  their  most  valuable  and  distinguished  officers. 

The  loss  of  the  Americans  in  killed  and  wounded 
was  but  thirteen. 

On  the  right  bank  the  British  loss  was  one  hun 
dred  and  twenty  men  killed  or  wounded ;  whilst  that 
of  the  Americans  was  one  killed,  five  wounded,  and 
nineteen  missing. 

The  events  of  this  day  afford  abundant  evidence  of 
the  liberality  of  the  American  soldiers,  and  show  a 
striking  difference  in  the  troops  of  the  two  nations. 
While  the  British  soldier  was  allured  to  acts  of  bravery 
and  duty,  by  the  promised  pillage  and  plunder  of  the 
inhabitants,  and  the  commission  of  crimes  abhorrent  in 
the  sight  of  earth  and  heaven,  the  American  fought  but 
for  his  country ;  and,  having  repelled  her  assailants, 
instantly  forgot  all  enmity,  viewed  his  fallen  foe  as  a 
brother,  and  hastened  to  assist  him,  even  at  the  hazard 
of  his  own  life.  The  gallantry  of  the  British  sol 
diers,  and  no  people  could  have  displayed  greater,  had 
brought  many  of  them  even  to  the  American  ram 
parts,  where,  shot  down  by  their  opponents,  they  were 
lying,  badly  wounded.  When  the  firing  had  ceased, 
and  the  columns  had  retired,  Jackson's  troops,  with 
generous  benevolence,  advanced  over  their  lines  to 
assist  and  bring  in  the  wounded,  who  lay  under  and 
near  the  walls ;  when,  strange  to  tell,  the  enemy,  from 
a  ditch  they  occupied,  opened  a  fire  upon  them,  and 


THE   EIGHTH    OF    JANUARY.  389 

though  at  a  considerable  distance,  succeeded  in  wound 
ing  several.  It  was  enough  for  the  Americans  that 
they  were  doing  an  act  which  the  benevolence  of  their 
hearts  approved ;  and,  with  charitable  perseverance, 
they  continued  to  administer  to  the  wants  of  these 
suffering  men,  and  to  carry  them  within  their  lines, 
although  in  their  efforts  they  were  continually  exposed 
to  danger.  Let  the  apologist  for  crime  say  wherefore 
\vere  acts  thus  unpardonable  committed  against  men 
who  were  administering  to  the  wants,  and  relieving 
the  sufferings  of  the  dying  countrymen  of  those  who 
thus  repaid  the  most  laudable  humanity  with  wanton 
and  useless  cruelty. 

A  communication  was  shortly  after  received  from 
Major-General  Lambert,  on  whom  in  consequence  of 
the  fall  of  Generals  Packenham,  Gibbs,  and  Keane, 
the  command  had  devolved,  acknowledging  the  kind 
ness  of  the  soldiers,  and  requesting  permission  to  send 
an  unarmed  party  to  bury  the  dead  lying  before  his 
lines,  and  to  bring  off  such  of  them  as  were  danger 
ously  wounded.  The  request  to  bury  the  dead  was 
granted ;  though  General  Jackson  refused  to  permit 
a  near  approach  to  his  line,  but  consented  that  the 
wounded  who  were  at  a  greater  distance  than  three 
hundred  yards  from  the  intrenchments  should  be  re 
lieved,  and  the  dead  buried :  those  nearer  were  to  be 
delivered  over  by  his  own  men,  that  the  enemy  might 
not  have  an  opportunity  to  inspect,  or  know  anything 
of  his  situation. 

General  Lambert,  desirous  of  administering  to  the 
relief  of  the  wounded,  an4  that  he  might  be  relieved 
from  his  apprehensions  of  an  attack,  proposed  about 


390  NEW    ORLEANS. 

noon  that  hostilities  should  cease  until  the  same  hour  the 
next  day.  General  Jackson,  cherishing  the  hope  of 
being  able  to  secure  an  important  advantage  by  his 
apparent  willingness  to  accede  to  the  proposal,  drew 
up  an  armistice  and  forwarded  it  to  General  Lambert, 
with  directions  for  it  to  be  immediately  returned,  if 
approved.  It  contained  a  stipulation  to  this  effect : — 
That  hostilities  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river  should  be 
discontinued  from  its  ratification,  but  on  the  right 
bank  they  should  not  cease ;  and,  in  the  interim,  that 
under  no  circumstances  were  reinforcements  to  be  sent 
across  by  either  party.  This  was  a  bold  stroke  at 
stratagem ;  and  although  it  succeeded  even  to  the  ex 
tent  desired,  was  yet  attended  with  considerable  hazard. 
Reinforcements  had  been  ordered  over  to  retake  the 
position  lost  by  Morgan  in  the  morning,  and  the  gen 
eral  presumed  they  had  arrived  at  their  point  of  desti 
nation  ;  but  at  this  time  they  had  not  passed  the  river ; 
nor  could  it  be  expected  to  be  retaken  with  the  same 
troops  who  had  just  yielded  it,  when  possessed  of  ad 
vantages  which  gave  them  a  decided  superiority.  This 
the  commanding  general  well  knew ;  yet,  to  spare  the 
sacrifice  of  his  men,  which,  in  regaining  it  he  saw  must 
be  considerable,  he  was  disposed  to  venture  upon  a 
course  which  might  possibly  succeed.  It  was  impos 
sible  that  his  object  could  be  discovered ;  while  he 
confidently  believed  the  British  commander  would  in 
fer,  from  the  prompt  and  ready  manner  in  which  his 
proposal  had  been  met,  that  such  additional  troops 
were  already  thrown  over  as  would  be  fully  adequate 
to  the  purposes  of  attack,  and  greatly  to  endanger,  if 
not  wholly  cut  off,  Colonel  Thornton's  retreat.  Gen- 


JACKSON    GRANTS    AN    ARMISTICE.  391 

eral  Lambert's  construction  was  such  as  had  been 
anticipated.  Although  the  armistice  contained  a  re 
quest  that  it  should  be  immediately  signed  and  returned, 
it  was  neglected  to  be  acted  upon  until  the  next  day ; 
and  Thornton  and  his  command  were  in  the  mean 
time,  under  cover  of  the  night,  recrossed,  and  the 
ground  they  had  occupied  left  to  be  peaceably  pos 
sessed  by  the  original  holders.  The  opportunity  thus 
afforded  of  regaining  a  position  on  which,  in  a  great 
degree,  depended  the  safety  of  those  upon  the  opposite 
shore,  was  accepted  with  an  avidity  its  importance 
merited,  and  immediate  measures  were  taken  to  in 
crease  its  strength,  and  prepare  it  against  any  future 
attack  that  might  be  made. 

Early  the  next  morning  (January  9th),  General 
Lambert  returned  his  acceptance  of  what  had  been 
proposed,  with  an  apology  for  having  failed  to  reply 
sooner;  and  an  armistice  was  concluded,  to  continue 
until  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  The  dead  and 
wounded  were  then  removed  from  the  field,  which,  for 
three  hundred  yards  in  front  of  Jackson's  line,  they 
almost  literally  covered.  The  American  soldiers 
within  the  line  of  demarcation  between  the  two  camps 
delivered  over  to  the  British,  who  were  not  permitted 
to  cross  it,  the  dead  for  burial,  and  the  wounded  on 
parole,  for  which  it  was  stipulated  an  equal  number  of 
American  prisoners  should  be  restored. 

There  is  one  fact  told,  which  clearly  shows  the 
opinion  entertained  by  the  British  of  the  American 
militia,  and  the  little  fear  they  had  of  any  determined 
opposition  from  them.  When  repulsed  by  them,  the 
British  officers  were  fully  persuaded  that  the  informa- 
30 


392 


NEW   ORLEANS. 


Burying  the  dead 


tion  given  them  by  the  deserter  on  the  night  of  the 
6th  was  false;  and  that  instead  of  pointing  out  the 
ground  defended  by  the  militia,  he  had  referred  them 
to  the  place  occupied  by  the  best  troops.  Enraged  at 
what  they  believed  to  be  an  intentional  deception,  they 
called  their  informant  before  them  to  account  for  the 
mischief  he  had  done.  It  was  in  vain  he  urged  his 
innocence,  and,  with  the  most  solemn  protestations, 
declared  he  had  stated  the  fact  truly  as  it  was.  They 
could  not  be  convinced, — it  was  impossible  that  they 
had  contended  against  any  but  the  best  disciplined 
troops ;  and,  without  further  ceremony,  the  poor  fel 
low,  suspended  in  view  of  the  camp,  expiated  on  a 
tree,  not  his  crime — for  what  he  stated  was  true — but 
their  error  in  underrating  an  enemy  who  had  already 
afforded  abundant  evidences  of  valour.  In  all  their 
future  trials  with  Americans,  may  they  be  no  less  de 
ceived,  and  may  they  discover  in  the  yeomanry  of  the 
country  a  determination  to  sustain  with  firmness  a 


RETREAT    OF    THE    BRITISH.  393 

government  which  knows  nothing  of  oppression ;  but 
which,  on  an  enlarged  and  liberal  scale,  aims  to  secure 
the  independence  and  happiness  of  man.  If  the  people 
of  the  United  States — free  almost  as  the  air  they 
breathe — shall  at  any  time  omit  to  maintain  their  pri 
vileges  and  their  government,  then,  indeed,  will  it  be 
idle  longer  to  speak  of  the  rights  of  men,  or  of  their 
capacity  to  govern  themselves :  the  dream  of  liberty 
must  fade  away  and  perish  for  ever,  no  more  to  be 
remembered  or  thought  of. 

After  the  battle  of  the  8th  of  January,  Jackson 
could  have  captured  every  man  of  the  British  force 
that  was  upon  the  land,  if  he  had  been  supplied  with 
arms,  according  to  his  own  repeated  urgent  requests, 
and  agreeably  to  the  promises  that  were  made  him. 
Not  having  arms,  he  was  compelled  to  let  the  remain 
der  of  the  "  heroes  of  the  Peninsula"  escape.  They 
reached  Lake  Borgne,  and  there  they  embarked,  leav 
ing  behind  them  the  contempt  of  the  faithful  Ameri 
cans,  and  the  sympathetic  sorrows  of  the  traitors. 

"  No  great  merit  is  to  be  attached  to  the  fact  that 
the  flash  of  gunpowder  and  the  whiz  of  bullets  had  no 
terrors  for  Andrew  Jackson.  There  were  thousands 
that  feared  them  as  little  as  he  did  ;  while  not  one  in 
a  whole  generation  could  be  found  with  his  powers  of 
command,  that  fecundity  of  genius,  by  which,  under 
the  most  trying  circumstances,  he  created  unforeseen 
resources — raised,  as  it  were,  from  the  ground,  hosts 
of  intrepid  warriors,  and  provided  every  vulnerable 
point  with  ample  means  of  defence — that  instinctive 
superiority,  self-reliance,  and  impulsive  energy,  which 
at  once  rallied  around  him  universal  confidence,  im- 
50 


394  NEW   ORLEANS. 

pressed  one  irresistible  movement  on  all  the  jarring 
elements  of  a  mixed  population ;  roused  their  slumber 
ing  spirits,  and  diffused  through  every  rank  the  noble 
ardour  that  flowed  in  his  o\vn  bosom — that  consum 
mate  prudence  which  defeated  all  the  combinations  of 
a  sagacious  enemy — entangled  them  in  the  very  snares 
they  had  spread  for  him,  and  succeeded  in  effecting 
their  utter  destruction,  without  exposing  the  lives  of 
his  own  soldiers.  These  qualities  of  mind  constitute 
his  greatness,  and  not  brute  courage. 

"  When  the  8th  day  of  January  came  the  work  was 
done.  The  greatest  enemy  had  been  conquered.  By 
his  wise  plans  and  indomitable  energy,  Jackson  had 
made  certain  and  inevitable  the  glorious  results  of  that 
day.  He  had  already  fought  the  battle  and  won  the 
victory  before  the  day  of  carnage  came. 

"  But  it  has  been  said  that  there  is  no  great  merit 
in  fighting  behind  cotton-bags.  And  some  are  unge 
nerous  enough  to  detract  from  that  glorious  achieve 
ment,  on  the  ground  that  those  who  accomplished  it 
stood  in  comparative  security.  Why  then  were  not 
the  results  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  as  brilliant 
as  those  on  the  left  ?  There  were  like  fortifications, 
and  the  friends,  neighbours,  and  companions  of  those 
on  the  left  to  defend  them.  No  difference  in  the  strength 
of  position  or  the  spirit  of  the  men  ;  yet,  on  the  right 
bank,  though  opposed  by  one  division  only,  they  fled 
at  the  first  fire — while  those  on  the  opposite  side  never 
flinched  from  their  duty;  though  they  had  to  meet  the 
whole  force  of  the  British  army,  led  on  by  the  most 
renowned  generals.  Why  this  difference  ?  On  the 
one  side  there  was  Jackson  to  awe  into  obedience, 


BOMBARDMENT    OF    FORT    ST.    PHILIP.      395 

animate,  and  direct ;  while  on  the  other,  there  was  no 
master-spirit  like  him  to  '  ride  upon  the  whirlwind  and 
direct  the  storm.7  All  praise,  then,  is  due  to  the  great 
chieftain,  who  won  a  victory  as  brilliant  as  any  re 
corded  in  the  annals  of  warfare;  as  important,  in  its 
consequences  to  the  present  and  future  generations, 
and  to  all  mankind,  as  any  battle  ever  fought  in  the 
tide  of  time."* 


Bombardment  of  Fort  St.  Philip. 


In  the  morning  of  the  9th  of  January,  a  British 
squadron,  consisting  of  two  bomb-vessels,  a  brig,  sloop, 
and  schooner,  appeared  below  Fort  St.  Philip,  and 
commenced  a  bombardment  of  that  fort,  with  the 
intention  of  forcing  a  passage  up  the  river,  and  aiding 
the  beaten  army.  The  fire  was  returned  from  the 
fort  with  such  effect  as  to  cause  the  vessels  to  retire 
to  the  distance  of  two  miles,  out  of  range  of  the  Ame 
rican  guns  ;  but  having  it  in  their  power  to  reach  the 
fort  with  the  shot  from  their  large  mortars.  The 
bombardment  continued  without  intermission  from 
the  9th  until  the  night  of  the  17th,  when  a  heavy 

*  Garland's  Eulogy. 
30* 


396  NEW    ORLEANS. 

mortar  having  been  prepared  and  turned  against  them, 
they  suspended  their  operations,  and  on  the  morning 
of  the  18th,  before  daylight,  they  retired.  The  failure 
of  this  squadron  to  effect  a  passage  up  the  river,  per 
haps  determined  General  Lambert  in  the  course  he 
immediately  adopted.  He  decamped  on  the  night  of 
the  18th,  and  embarked  for  his  shipping  on  Lake 
Borgne,  leaving  behind  him  eighty  of  his  soldiers,  who 
were  too  severely  wounded  to  be  removed.  He  took 
such  precautions,  aided  by  the  nature  of  the  ground 
over  which  he  was  retreating,  as  prevented  pursuit  in 
sufficient  numbers  to  secure  any  valuable  result. 

Thus,  at  last,  in  total  disappointment,  terminated 
an  invasion,  from  which  much  had  been  expected. 
Twenty-six  days  ago,  flushed  with  the  hope  of  certain 
victory,  had  this  army  erected  its  standard  on  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi.  At  that  moment  they  would 
have  treated  with  contempt  an  assertion,  that  in  ten 
days  they  would  not  enter  the  city  of  New  Orleans. 
How  changed  the  portrait  from  the  expected  reality ! 
But  a  few  days  since,  and  they  were  confident  of  the 
hour  of  triumph,  and  successful  termination  of  their 
labours ;  now,  vanquished,  beaten,  and  cut  to  pieces, 
at  midnight,  under  cover  of  its  darkness,  they  are 
silently  abandoning  their  camp — breaking  to  pieces 
their  artillery — fleeing  from  an  enemy,  whom  but  a  little 
while  before  they  held  in  utter  contempt,  and  submit 
ting  their  wounded  to  his  clemency.  A  demonstration 
is  given,  which  a  Briton  short  of  absolute  proof  would 
have  been  among  the  last  to  have  admitted,  that  four 
teen  thousand  troops,  who  often  against  the  sternest 
opposition  had  signalized  themselves  in  battle,  and 


JACKSON    RETURNS    TO    NEW    ORLEANS.    397 

marched  to  victory,  could,  under  any  circumstances, 
be  beaten  and  one-third  of  them  destroyed  by  an  in 
ferior  number  of  men,  who  scarcely  knew  how  to  form 
in  column,  or  deploy  into  lines :  but  they  knew  what 
was  of  infinitely  more  service — in  nerving  with  strength 
the  soldier's  arm,  and  dispelling  everything  like  fear — 
that  they  were  contending  for  their  rights  against  a 
power  which  was  causelessly  seeking  their  destruction 
— for  privilege  against  usurpation — for  liberty,  in  op 
position  to  oppression — that  they  were  fighting  for  a 
country  they  loved,  and  for  enjoyments  which,  if  once 
lost,  could  never  be  regained.  Prompted  by  these 
considerations,  they  had  entered  the  field,  and  under 
their  influence  had  acted.  For  their  toils  and  priva 
tions  they  were  amply  remunerated — they  had  met 
their  own  and  the  country's  expectations — had  saved 
a  city  from  destruction — its  inhabitants  from  cruelty 
and  dishonour,  and  were  carrying  with  them  that  con 
solation,  which  the  recollection  of  a  faithful  discharge 
of  duty  never  fails  to  inspire. 

Having  established  such  strong  posts  as  he  thought 
would  prevent  the  enemy  from  again  reaching  the 
Mississippi,  General  Jackson  with  his  remaining 
forces  returned  to  New  Orleans.  His  approach  to 
the  city  was  hailed  with  acclamations.  It  was  not 
the  kind  of  applause  which,  resulting  from  fear,  is 
often  extended  by  the  subject  to  some  conqueror  or 
tyrant  returning  in  triumph ;  but  that  which  was  ex 
tended  by  citizens  to  a  citizen,  springing  from  af 
fection,  and  founded  in  the  honest  sincerity  of  the 
heart.  All  greeted  his  return,  and  hailed  him  as  their 
deliverer. 


398  NEW    ORLEANS. 

But,  amidst  the  expressions  of  thanks,  honours, 
and  congratulations  heaped  upon  him,  he  remembered 
that,  to  an  energy  above  his  own,  and  to  a  wisdom 
that  controls  the  destiny  of  nations,  he  was  indebted 
for  the  glorious  triumph  of  his  arms.  Relieved  from 
the  arduous  duties  of  the  field,  his  first  concern  was 
to  draw  the  minds  of  all,  in  thankfulness  and  adoration, 
to  that  sovereign  mercy,  without  whose  aid  and  inspi 
ring  counsel,  vain  are  all  earthly  efforts.  The  23d 
having  been  appointed  a  day  of  public  thanksgiving 
for  the  happy  deliverance  which  had  just  been  effected, 
he  repaired  to  the  cathedral.  The  church  and  altar 
were  splendidly  adorned,  and  more  than  could  obtain 
admission  had  crowded  to  witness  the  ceremony.  A 
grateful  recollection  of  his  exertions  to  save  the  coun 
try  was  cherished  by  all;  nor  did  the  solemnity  of 
the  occasion  even  here  restrain  a  manifestation  of 
their  regard,  or  induce  them  to  withhold  the  honour 
so  nobly  earned.  Children,  robed  in  white,  and  re 
presenting  the  different  states,  were  employed  in  strew 
ing  the  way  with  flowers.  In  the  centre  of  the  grand 
square  a  triumphal  arch  was  erected,  supported  by 
six  columns.  On  the  right,  in  front  of  the  arch,  was 
a  young  lady  representing  Justice,  and  on  the  left 
another,  representing  Liberty.  Under  the  arch  were 
two  young  children,  each  on  a  pedestal,  holding  a 
crown  of  laurel. 

As  the  general  passed  under  the  arch,  he  received 
the  crowns  of  laurel,  and  proceeded  to  the  church, 
where  he  was  met  by  the  reverend  administrator  of  the 
diocese.  Addressing  him  in  a  strain  of  pious  eloquence, 
the  clergyman  entreated  him  to  remember  that  his 


JACKSON'S  RETURN  TO  NEW  ORLEANS.  399 

splendid  achievements,  which  were  echoed  from  every 
tongue,  were  to  be  ascribed  to  Him,  to  whom  all  praise 
was  due.  "  Let  the  votary  of  blind  chance  deride  our 
credulous  simplicity  ;  let  the  cold-hearted  atheist  look 
up  for  the  explanation  of  such  important  events  to  the 
mere  concatenation  of  human  causes ;  to  us,  the  whole 
universe  is  loud  in  proclaiming  a  Supreme  Ruler,  who, 
as  he  holds  the  hearts  of  men,  holds  also  the  thread 
of  all  contingent  occurrences.  Whatever  be  his  in 
termediate  agents,  still  on  the  secret  orders  of  his  all- 
ruling  providence  depend  the  rise  and  prosperity,  as 
well  as  the  decline  and  downfall  of  empires.  From 
his  lofty  throne  above,  he  moves  every  scene  below; 
now  curbing,  now  letting  loose  the  passions  of  men ; 
now  infusing  his  own  wisdom  into  the  leaders  of  na 
tions  ;  now  confounding  their  boasted  prudence,  and 
spreading  upon  their  councils  a  spirit  of  intoxication, 
and  thus  executing  his  uncontrollable  judgments  on  the 
sons  of  men,  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  own  un 
erring  justice."  He  concluded  his  impressive  address, 
by  presenting  the  general  with  a  wreath  of  laurel, 
woven  for  the  occasion,  and  which  he  desired  him  to 
accept,  as  "  the  prize  of  victory,  and  the  symbol  of 
immortality." 

General  Jackson,  accepting  the  pledge  presented 
by  the  reverend  prelate  as  a  mark  of  distinguished 
favour,  returned  him  a  reply  no  less  impressive  than 
the  address  he  had  received.  It  was  in  these  words : 
"Reverend  Sir, — I  receive,  with  pleasure,  the  sym 
bolical  crown  which  piety  has  prepared.  I  receive  it 
in  the  name  of  the  brave  men  who  have  so  effectually 
seconded  my  exertions  for  the  preservation  of  the 


400  NEW    ORLEANS. 

country — they  well  deserve  the   laurels  which    their 
country  will  bestow. 

"  For  myself,  to  have  been  instrumental  in  the  de 
liverance  of  such  a  country,  is  the  greatest  blessing 
that  Heaven  could  confer.  That  it  has  been  effected 
with  so  little  loss — that  so  few  tears  should  cloud  the 
smiles  of  our  triumph,  and  not  a  cypress  leaf  be  inter 
woven  in  the  wreath  which  you  present,  is  a  source 
of  the  most  exquisite  enjoyment. 

"  I  thank  you,  reverend  sir,  most  sincerely,  for  the 
prayers  which  you  offer  up  for  my  happiness.  May 
those  your  patriotism  dictates  for  our  beloved  country 
be  first  heard ;  and  may  mine  for  your  individual 
prosperity,  as  well  as  that  of  the  congregation  com 
mitted  to  your  care,  be  favourably  received — the  pros 
perity,  the  wealth,  the  happiness  of  this  city,  will  then 
be  commensurate  with  the  courage  and  other  qualities 
of  its  inhabitants." 

The  general  was  then  conducted  in,  and  seated 
near  the  altar,  when  the  organ  and  church  ceremonies 
commenced,  and  inspired  every  mind  with  a  solemn 
reverence  for  the  occasion.  These  being  ended,  he 
retired  to  his  quarters,  to  renew  a  system  of  defence 
which  should  ensure  entire  safety,  and  ward  off  any 
future  danger  that  might  arise.  Generals  Coffee  and 
Carroll  were  instructed  to  resume  the  position  they  had 
occupied  prior  to  the  23d  of  December  above  the  city ; 
while  the  rest  of  the  troops  were  arranged  at  different 
points,  where  necessity  seemed  most  to  require  it,  and 
where  they  might  be  convenient  for  action  on  the  first 
appearance  of  danger. 

The  enemy,  mortified  at  their  unexpected  disaster, 


FORT    BOWYER    TAKEN.  401 

determined  to  obtain  some  advantage,  however  slight, 
in  some  measure  to  counterbalance  their  disgrace; 
and  for  this  purpose,  made  a  second  attack  on  Fort 
Bowyer.  This  fort  was  still  defended  by  Major 
Lawrence,  with  three  hundred  and  sixty  men.  On  the 
8th  of  February,  the  whole  British  force  commenced 
the  attack,  both  by  land  and  water.  Making  their 
approaches  on  the  land  side  with  the  greatest  caution, 
on  the  morning  of  the  llth  everything  was  ready  to 
attack  and  carry  the  place.  Lawrence,  seeing  that  it 
would  only  be  madness  any  longer  to  resist  a  force  at 
least  twenty  times  his  number,  then  agreed  to  a  capitu 
lation,  and  the  fort  wras  surrendered. 

On  the  13th  of  March,  an  express  reached  head 
quarters,  with  despatches  from  the  war  department, 
announcing  the  conclusion  of  a  peace  between  Great 
Britain  and  the  United  States.  A  similar  communica 
tion  was  shortly  afterwards  received  by  General  Lam 
bert  from  his  government,  and  on  the  19th  military 
operations  by  the  two  armies  entirely  ceased.  It  was 
at  this  time  that  General  Jackson  was  fined  in  the 
sum  of  one  thousand  dollars  for  contempt  of  court — 
an  event  which  has  already  been  adverted  to. 

It  was  now  indispensable  to  hasten  the  necessary 
arrangements  to  relieve  from  the  toils  of  the  field 
those  brave  men  who  had  so  long  been  struggling  in 
their  country's  defence.  Previously  to  breaking  up 
his  camp,  he  addressed  his  army,  and  declared  the 
high  sense  he  entertained  of  those  who  had  toiled  with 
him  in  the  field,  and  who,  by  perseverance  and  fidelity, 
had  obtained  safety  for  their  country,  and  honour  for 
themselves.  This  address  ought  to  be  read,  preserved, 
51 


4O2  NEW   ORLEANS. 

arid  cherished,  in  every  country  of  the  world :  it  is  as 
follows : 

"  The  major-general  is  at  length  enabled  to  perform 
the  pleasing  task  of  restoring  to  Tennessee,  Kentucky, 
Louisiana,  and  the  territory  of  Mississippi,  the  brave 
troops  who  have  acted  such  a  distinguished  part  in  the 
war  which  has  just  terminated.  In  restoring  these 
brave  men  to  their  homes,  much  exertion  is  expected 
of,  and  great  responsibility  imposed  on  the  command 
ing  officers  of  the  different  corps.  It  is  required  of 
Major-Generals  Carroll  and  Thomas,  and  Brigadier- 
General  Coffee,  to  march  their  commands,  without 
unnecessary  delay,  to  their  respective  states.  The 
troops  from  the  Mississippi  territory  and  state  of 
Louisiana,  both  militia  and  volunteers,  will  be  imme 
diately  mustered  out  of  service,  paid,  and  discharged. 

"The  major-general  has  the  satisfaction  of  an 
nouncing  the  approbation  of  the  president  of  the 
United  States  to  the  conduct  of  the  troops  under  his 
command,  expressed  in  flattering  terms,  through  the 
honourable  the  secretary  of  \var. 

"  In  parting  with  those  brave  men,  whose  destinies 
have  been  so  long  united  with  his  own,  and  in  whose 
labours  and  glories  it  is  his  happiness  and  his  boast 
to  have  participated,  the  commanding-general  can 
neither  suppress  his  feelings,  nor  give  utterance  to  them 
as  he  ought.  In  what  terms  can  he  bestow  suitable 
praise  or  merit,  so  extraordinary,  so  unparalleled  ? 
Let  him,  in  one  burst  of  joy,  gratitude,  and  exultation, 
exclaim — 'These  are  the  saviours  of  their  country — 
these  the  patriot  soldiers  who  triumphed  over  the  in- 
vincibles  of  Wellington,  and  conquered  the  conquerors 


FAREWELL    ADDRESS    TO    THE    ARMY.        403 


Jackson's  Farewell  Address  to  the  Army  at  New  Orleans. 


of  Europe !'  With  what  patience  did  you  submit  to 
privations — with  what  fortitude  did  you  endure  fatigue 
— what  valour  did  you  display  in  the  day  of  battle ! 
You  have  secured  to  America  a  proud  name  among 
the  nations  of  the  earth — a  glory  which  will  never 
perish. 

"  Possessing  those  dispositions  which  equally  adorn 
the  citizen  and  the  soldier,  the  expectations  of  your 
country  will  bs  met  in  peace,  as  her  wishes  have  been 
gratified  in  war.  Go,  then,  my  brave  companions,  to 
your  homes ;  to  those  tender  connexions,  and  blissful 
scenes  which  render  life  so  dear — full  of  honour,  and 
crowned  with  laurels  which  will  never  fade.  When 
31 


404  NEW   ORLEANS. 

participating,  in  the  bosoms  of  your  families,  the  en 
joyment  of  peaceful  life,  with  what  happiness  will  you 
not  look  back  to  the  toils  you  have  borne — to  the 
dangers  you  have  encountered  ?  How  wiJ  all  your 
past  exposures  be  converted  into  sources  of  inexpress 
ible  delight !  Who,  that  never  experienced  your  suf 
ferings,  will  be  able  to  appreciate  your  joys?  The 
man  who  slumbered  ingloriously  at  home,  during  your 
painful  marches,  your  nights  of  watchfulness,  and 
your  days  of  toil,  will  envy  you  the  happiness  which 
these  recollections  will  afford — still  more  will  he  envy 
the  gratitude  of  that  country  which  you  have  so  emi 
nently  contributed  to  save. 

"  Continue,  fellow-soldiers,  on  your  passage  to  your 
several  destinations,  to  preserve  that  subordination, 
that  dignified  and  manly  deportment  which  have  so 
ennobled  your  character. 

"  While  the  commanding  general  is  thus  giving  in 
dulgence  to  his  feelings  towards  those  brave  com 
panions  who  accompanied  him  through  difficulties  and 
danger,  he  cannot  permit  the  names  of  Blount,  and 
Shelby,  and  Holmes,  to  pass  unnoticed.  With  what 
generous  ardour  and  patriotism  have  these  distin 
guished  governors  contributed  all  their  exertions  to 
provide  the  means  of  victory !  The  recollection  of 
their  exertions,  and  of  the  success  which  has  resulted, 
will  be  to  them  a  reward  more  grateful  than  any  which 
the  pomp  of  title,  or  the  splendour  of  wealth  can  bestow. 

"  What  happiness  is  it  to  the  commanding  general, 
that,  while  danger  was  before  him,  he  was,  on  no  oc 
casion,  compelled  to  use  towards  his  companions  in 
arms  either  severity  or  rebuke  !  If,  after  the  enemy 


DEPARTURE    FOR    NASHVILLE.  405 

had  retired,  improper  passions  began  their  empire  in 
a  few  unworthy  bosoms,  and  rendered  a  resort  to  en 
ergetic  measures  necessary  for  their  suppression,  he 
has  not  confounded  the  innocent  with  the  guilty — the 
seduced  with  the  seducers.  Towards  you,  fellow-sol 
diers,  the  most  cheering  recollections  exist ;  blended, 
alas !  with  regret,  that  disease  and  war  should  have 
ravished  from  us  so  many  worthy  companions.  But 
the  memory  of  the  cause  in  which  they  perished,  and 
of  the  virtues  which  animated  them  while  living,  must 
occupy  the  place  where  sorrow  would  claim  to  dwell. 

"  Farewell,  fellow-soldiers.  The  expression  of  your 
general's  thanks  is  feeble,  but  the  gratitude  of  a  coun 
try  of  freemen  is  yours — yours  the  applause  of  an 
admiring  world." 

The  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  and  Mississippi  troops 
then  took  their  departure ;  and  General  Gaines  being 
invested  with  the  command  of  the  southern  depart 
ment,  General  Jackson  soon  left  New  Orleans  for 
Nashville.  The  good  wishes  and  friendship  of  the 
people  followed  him ;  and  he  carried  with  him  a  con 
sciousness  of  having  done  his  duty.  A  tedious  jour 
ney  of  eight  hundred  miles  brought  him  to  Nashville, 
where  an  immense  concourse  was  collected,  to  greet 
his  return,  and  welcome  his  arrival.  They  had  long 
known  him  as  among  the  number  of  their  best  and 
most  respectable  citizens ;  but  now  curiosity  had  a 
new  incentive.  Until  now,  they  had  not  beheld  him 
as  one,  who,  to  protect  his  country,  knew  no  difficulty 
too  great  to  be  encountered, — who,  by  his  firmness, 
and  unconquerable  perseverance  amidst  surrounding 
dangers,  had  shielded  her  from  foreign  and  intestine 


406 


NEW    ORLEANS. 


Return  to  Nashville. 


foes.  An  elegant  address,  drawn  up  and  delivered  by 
Mr.  Grundy,  welcomed  his  return.  Having  received 
this  further  display  of  public  confidence,  the  more 
grateful  because  from  those  who  were  his  acquain 
tances,  neighbours  and  friends,  he  returned  home,  to 
enjoy  that  repose,  to  which,  for  eighteen  months,  he 
had  been  a  stranger. 

Thus  did  General  Jackson  put  an  end  to  the  second 
war  with  Great  Britain,  and  return  to  his  home. 
Taking  into  consideration  the  comparative  strength 
of  the  two  armies,  and  the  comparative  loss,  there  is 
no  battle  on  the  pages  of  history  which  will  compare 
with  that  of  New  Orleans.  It  was  this  battle  that 
crowned  the  military  career  of  Andrew  Jackson  !  It 
was  this  battle  that  gave  him  a  fame  and  reputation 
imperishable  in  all  future  time.  And  now  that  his 


JACKSON'S    MILITARY    REPUTATION.       407 

name  and  his  acts  have  become  the  property  of  his 
country,  the  voice  of  emulation  and  discord  is  hushed 
for  ever — that  full  justice  will  be  done  him,  which  in 
his  life  may  have  been  partially  withheld.  His  con 
duct  as  a  soldier  on  the  field  of  New  Orleans,  entitles 
him  to  a  place  in  no  way  inferior  to  the  best  general 
of  the  age.  The  memory  of  that  battle  will  be  per 
petual  ;  together  with  Yorktown,  and  Monmouth,  and 
Bunker  Hill — Waterloo,  Austerlitz,  and  Jena — Mara 
thon  and  Thermopylae,  it  will  go  down  to  the  latest 
posterity. 

"  To  Jackson's  fame,  the  honour  of  two  successful 
wars  may  be  added.  Few,  indeed,  have  had  the  same 
duties  to  perform  in  the  service  of  their  country — and 
none  have  discharged  them  with  more  personal  credit 
to  themselves  and  to  the  nation.  He  has  never  had 
the  charge  of  cowardice  imputed  to  him,  in  the  times 
of  the  highest  political  excitement — he  has  never  been 
charged  with  an  ambition  which  was  irreconcileable 
with  the  best  interests  of  his  country.  Like  the  im 
mortal  Washington,  when  he  had  finished  the  work 
of  doing  battle  for  the  republic,  he  retired  to  the  scenes 
of  private  and  domestic  life,  until  called  on  by  the 
people  to  act  in  a  more  exalted  sphere.  It  has  never 
been  imputed  to  him,  that  any  other  motive  impelled 
him  than  an  honest  and  patriotic  desire  to  serve  the 
sacred  cause  of  freedom — to  maintain  and  perpetuate 
those  principles  of  government  which  had  their  origin 
in  the  dawn  of  the  revolution.  Honest,  patriotic, 
brave — he  was  ever  ready  to  draw  the  sword  from  the 
scabbard  when  duty  called  him,  and  as  willing  to  re 
turn  it  when  the  day  of  duty  was  done.  The  fame 
31* 


408 


NEW    ORLEANS. 


of  the  soldier,  which  in  his  case  was  exalted,  was 
never  used  for  purposes  of  personal  aggrandizement, 
or  popular  promotion.  Generous  to  a  fault,  courteous 
and  agreeable,  he  gained  with  the  soldiery  an  influence, 
which,  with  an  evil  mind,  he  could  have  converted  to 
the  lasting  injury  of  his  country.  He  shared  with  them 
their  wants  and  privations — was  a  friend — their  com 
panion — in  a  word,  their  regard  and  affection  for  him 
was  unbounded."* 

*  Wright's  Eulogy. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 
THE   SEMINOLE   WAR. 

HE   war-drum   was   destined    soon 
again  to  summon  General  Jackson 
to  the  fields  of  Florida.     He  was 
only  allowed  a  short  season  for  re 
pose.     He  arrived  at  Nashville  on 
the  15th  of  May,  1815.    Some  time 
previous  to  his  arrival  he  received  a  message  from 
52 


410  THE    SEMINOLE    WAR. 

Washington,  asking  him  to  proceed  to  that  place,  and 
lend  his  aid  in  the  organization  of  a  peace  establish 
ment  in  the  army.  His  immediate  compliance  was 
impossible,  on  account  of  indispensable  duties  devolving 
upon  him  in  the  district  under  his  command.  It  was 
necessary  for  him  to  return  "  to  his  own  fields  and  his 
own  pursuits,  to  cherish  his  plantation,  to  care  for  his 
servants,  to  enjoy  the  affection  of  the  most  kind  and 
devoted  wife,  whom  he  respected  with  the  gentlest 
deference,  and  loved  with  an  almost  miraculous 
tenderness. 

"  And  there  he  stood,  like  one  of  the  mightiest 
forest  trees  of  his  own  west,  vigorous  and  colossal, 
sending  its  summit  to  the  skies,  and  growing  on  its 
native  soil  in  wild  and  inimitable  magnificence,  care 
less  of  beholders.  From  all  parts  of  the  country  he 
received  appeals  to  his  political  ambition,  and  the  se 
vere  modesty  of  his  well-balanced  mind  turned  them 
all  aside.  He  was  happy  in  his  farm,  happy  in  se 
clusion,  happy  in  his  family,  happy  within  himself."* 

But  his  country  still  required  his  services.  The 
government  decided  that  ten  thousand  men  should 
constitute  the  peace  establishment;  and  the  whole 
country  was  divided  into  two  military  departments, — 
the  north  and  the  south.  Major-General  Jackson 
was  appointed  commander-in-chief  of  the  southern 
division.  He  accepted  the  command  and  established 
his  head  quarters  at  Nashville,  where  he  received  many 
tokens  of  the  gratitude  and  respect  of  his  fellow-citi 
zens.  The  legislature  of  Tennessee  voted  him  the 

*  Bancroft's  Eulogy. 


JACKSON'S    VISIT    TO    WASHINGTON.        411 

thanks  of  the  state,  and  presented  to  him  a  gold  medal ; 
at  the  same  time  presenting  elegant  swords  to  his 
compatriots, Generals  Coffee  and  Carroll. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  year  1815,  General  Jack 
son,  for  the  first  time  since  the  declaration  of  war 
against  Great  Britain,  repaired  to  the  national  seat  of 
government.  As  he  passed  along  through  the  cities  and 
towns  which  he  had  helped  to  defend  from  destruc 
tion,  he  was  everywhere  welcomed  with  joy,  and  re 
ceived  with  that  marked  attention  which  a  grateful  and 
an  admiring  people  besto\v  upon  a  public  benefactor. 

Although  he  deprecated  all  parade  and  ostentatious 
show,  yet  he  found  it  impossible  to  avoid  a  reciproca 
tion  of  the  civility  and  hospitality  which  he  every 
where  met.  When  he  arrived  at  Washington,  he 
was  received  by  President  Madison  with  that  dig 
nified  cordiality  which  always  distinguished  the  fathers 
of  our  republic.  He  saw  with  pain  the  barbarous 
marks  left  by  the  British  under  Ross.  He  saw  the 
ruins  of  the  capitol,  the  President's  house,  and  the 
other  public  buildings,  and  his  bosom  was  filled  with 
feelings  of  heart-felt  gratitude  when  he  remembered 
that  he  had  been  selected  by  Providence  as  the  instru 
ment  to  prevent  the  same  signs  of  desolation  from 
appearing  in  New  Orleans. 

"At  all  the  public  parties  which  the  general  attended, 
at  Washington,  at  Georgetown,  at  Alexandria,  and 
other  places  in  the  neighbourhood,  he  showed  that, 
though  in  time  of  war  a  soldier  must  be  a  lion  to  his 
enemies,  he  could,  in  time  of  peace,  be  a  lamb  to  his 
friends ;  that  he  could  smooth  '  the  wrinkled  fron?  of 
the  soldier,  and  enjoy  the  '  lulling  tune  of  the  lute.'  At 


412 


THE    SEMINOLE    WAR. 


Mad  is* 


the  table,  he  could  enjoy  the  luxuries  it  afforded,  with 
the  elegance  of  the  gentleman — at  a  levee,  or  a  draw 
ing-room,  he  could  repay  the  civilities  he  received — and 
in  the  ball-room,  could,  if  he  chose,  display  the  refined 
accomplishments  of  the  courtier.  Mrs.  Jackson  ac 
companied  her  husband  to  Washington ;  and  every 
where  received  that  distinguished  respect  which  her 
own  merit,  as  well  as  admiration  for  the  hero  of  New 
Orleans,  induced  every  one  to  bestow. 


JACKSON'S    VISIT    TO    NEW    ORLEANS.      413 

"But  amidst  the  fascinating  blandishments  of  re 
fined  society,  and  the  alluring  charms  of  elegant  amuse 
ments,  he  never  forgot  his  duty  to  his  countrymen. 
More  than  one-half  of  one  of  the  largest  countries  of 
the  world,  in  point  of  territory,  had  been  assigned  to 
his  command.  Though  the  olive-branch  of  peace 
waved  over  his  country,  where  the  clarion  of  war  had 
long  assailed  the  ears  of  his  countrymen,  he  never  re 
mitted  his  exertions  to  secure,  in  time  of  peace,  by  effi 
cient  regulations  and  necessary  establishments,  the 
rights  and  blessings  which  he  had  defended  by  the 
sword."^ 

Accordingly,  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1816,  he 
repaired  to  New  Orleans,  in  order  so  to  station  the 
few  troops  under  his  command  as  completely  to  defend 
the  southern  border  of  his  district  from  the  inroads 
of  savages,  and  the  depredations  of  whites.  It  would 
be  useless  to  attempt  to  describe  the  enthusiasm  with 
which  he  was  welcomed  back  to  New  Orleans.  He 
was  entering  a  city  which  he  had  saved  from  total  de 
struction,  and  he  was  received  by  men  whose  lives  he 
had  defended,  by  fathers  who  owed  to  him  the  existence 
of  their  children,  by  the  wealthy  whose  property  he 
had  preserved,  and  by  wives  and  daughters  whose 
honour  he  had  protected.  No  wonder,  then,  that  the 
whole  population  strove  each  to  excel  his  neighbour  in 
warmth  and  hospitality.  His  reception  was  equal  to 
that  accorded  to  Washington  on  his  first  tour  after 
the  revolution,  and  that  of  La  Fayette,  when  he  returned 
to  visit  the  land  in  whose  defence  he  had  so  materially 
aided.  But  General  Jackson  was  not  on  a  tour  of 

*  Civil  and  Military  History  of  Jackson. 


414 


THE  SEMINOLE   WAR. 


to  New  Orleans. 


pleasure.  He  had  duties  to  perform.  The  suffering 
health  of  the  soldiery  called  for  his  care,  and  the  di 
vision  of  the  south  was  threatened  by  the  Seminole 
Indians  in  Florida,  aided  again  by  the  Spanish  au 
thorities.  He  was  aware  that  the  only  way  to  restrain 
their  barbarity,  or  to  punish  them  when  the  offence 
was  committed,  was  to  station  a  suitable  force  on  their 
borders,  under  the  command  of  an  intelligent  and  tried 
officer.  The  troops  were  accordingly  removed  to  the 
Alabama  territory,  and  stationed  along  the  boundary 


INDIAN    NEGOTIATION.  415 

of  Florida  in  small  forts,  having  every  convenience, 
and  designed  especially  to  favour  their  health. 

Jackson's  next  care  was  to  secure  to  the  United 
States  the  land  he  had  won  from  the  Indians.  For 
this  purpose,  he  entered  into  a  negotiation  with  the 
Chickasaw,  Choctaw,  Cherokee,  and  Creek  tribes. 
Though  these  lands  had  been  obtained  by  conquest, 
after  a  sanguinary  war,  brought  on,  as  we  have  seen, 
by  the  savages  themselves,  and  afterwards  ceded  to 
the  United  States  by  a  treaty  with  them,  in  which 
they  acknowledged  their  gratitude  for  being  permitted 
to  retain  any  territory ;  yet,  to  pacify  them  completely, 
and  to  extinguish  their  claim  to  the  lands  for  ever, 
General  Jackson  engaged,  in  behalf  of  his  government, 
and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  that  government, 
to  pay  to  the  Creeks  ten  thousand  dollars  a  year  for 
ten  years,  and  to  the  Cherokees  ten  thousand  dollars 
a  year  for  eight  years.  This  measure,  strongly  evin 
cing  the  moderation  and  good  feeling  of  the  American 
government  towards  the  natives,  was  gladly  acquiesced 
in  by  them,  and  they  ever  after  considered  General 
Jackson  their  warmest  friend. 

He  then  repaired  to  Huntsville,  in  Mississippi,  when 
by  order  of  the  government  he  published  an  order,  en 
joining  all  citizens  of  the  United  States,  to  abstain  from 
encroachments  upon  Indian  lands,  and  ordering  such 
as  had  settled  on  them  to  remove  within  a  limited 
number  of  days.  This  injunction,  though  severe  upon 
those  who  had  occupied  such  lands  through  misappre 
hension,  yet  was  required  by  that  justice  and  equity 
which  the  government  has  always  exercised  towards 
the  Indian  tribes. 

32 


416  THE    SEAIINOLE   WAR. 

It  was  during  the  autumn  of  1816,  that  the  ladies 
of  South  Carolina,  his  native  state,  presented  to  Gen 
eral  Jackson,  through  Colonel  Hayne  and  Major 
Gadsden,  a  splendid  silver  vase,  as  a  manifestation  of 
their  respect.  The  vase  was  elevated  on  a  pedestal, 
having  figures  and  inscriptions  attached  to  it,  emblema 
tical  of  the  country's  glory,  and  that  of  him  for  whom 
it  was  designed.  Upon  one  side  of  it,  there  was  a 
striking  representation  of  the  battle  of  New  Orleans, 
and  an  inscription,  "  Eighth  of  January,  1815",  and 
upon  the  other, "  Presented  by  the  ladies  of  South  Ca 
rolina  to  Major-General  Andrew  Jackson."  This 
present  was  peculiarly  grateful  to  the  feelings  of  the 
general,  coming,  as  it  did,  from  the  ladies  of  his  native 
state,  the  worthy  descendants  of  those  matrons,  whose 
benevolence  to  their  countrymen  during  the  revolution 
will  never  be  forgotten. 

In  October,  1816,  General  Jackson  returned  to  his 
head  quarters  at  Nashville,  where  he  occupied  himself 
with  his  domestic  concerns,  and  in  regulating  and  per 
fecting  the  police  of  his  army.  It  was  not  long,  how 
ever,  until  he  was  again  called  to  face  the  enemies  of 
his  country. 

The  whole  of  the  Floridas  at  this  time  belonged  to 

o 

Spain ;  but  the  authority  of  that  government  was  con 
fined  almost  exclusively  within  the  walls  of  Pensacola 
and  St.  Augustine,  where  small  garrisons  were  main 
tained.  Adventurers  from  every  country,  fugitives 
from  justice,  and  absconding  slaves,  found  an  asylum 
in  the  territory.  Several  tribes  of  Indians,  strong  in 
the  number  of  their  warriors,  remarkable  for  their  fe 
rocity,  and  whose  settlements  extended  to  the  southern 


CONDITION    OF    FLORIDA.  417 

limits  of  the  United  States,  inhabited  those  provinces. 
These  different  hordes  of  people  connected  together, 
disregarding  on  the  one  side  the  authority  of  Spain, 
and  protected  on  the  other  by  an  imaginary  line  sepa 
rating  Florida  from  the  United  States,  violated  the 
laws  prohibiting  the  introduction  of  slaves,  practised 
various  frauds  on  the  revenue,  and  committed  every 
kind  of  outrage  on  the  peaceable  citizens  of  the  United 
States,  which  their  proximity  enabled  them  to  perpe 
trate. 

In  1817,  Amelia  Island  was  invaded  by  a  small 
band  of  adventurers,  not  exceeding  one  hundred  and 
fifty  in  number,  and  wrested  from  the  inconsiderable 
Spanish  force  stationed  there.  This  band  of  pirates 
and  smugglers  held  the  island  thus  gained  for  several 
months,  and  converted  it  into  a  port  of  entry,  through 
which  they  smuggled  their  goods  into  the  United 
States.  During  that  time,  but  one  effort  was  made 
by  the  Spaniards  to  dislodge  them,  which,  by  its  fail 
ure,  clearly  proved  how  completely  extinct  the  Spanish 
authority  had  become ;  as  the  conduct  of  those  ad 
venturers,  while  in  possession  of  the  island,  as  dis 
tinctly  showed  the  pernicious  purposes  for  wThich  their 
combination  had  been  formed. 

Florida  had  in  fact  become  the  theatre  of  every 
species  of  lawless  adventure.  With  little  population 
of  its  own,  the  Spanish  authority  almost  extinct,  and 
the  colonial  governments,  in  a  state  of  revolution, 
having  no  pretensions  to  it,  and  sufficiently  employed 
in  their  own  concerns,  it  was,  in  a  great  measure,  de 
relict,  and -the  object  of  cupidity  to  every  adventurer. 
A  system  of  buccaneering  was  rapidly  organizing  over 
53 


418  THE   SEMINOLE   WAR. 

it,  which  menaced  in  its  consequences  the  lawful  com 
merce  of  every  nation,  and  particularly  of  the  United 
States;  while  it  presented  a  temptation  to  every 
people,  on  whose  seduction  its  success  principally 
depended. 

In  regard  to  the  United  States,  the  pernicious  ef 
fects  of  this  unlawful  combination  were  not  confined 
to  the  ocean.  With  the  Indian  tribes,  who  constituted 
the  effective  force  in  Florida,  these  adventurers  had 
formed  at  an  early  period  a  connexion,  with  a  view 
to  avail  themselves  of  that  force  to  promote  their  own 
objects  of  accumulation  and  aggrandizement.  It  is 
to  the  interference  of  some  of  these  adventurers,  par 
ticularly  to  two  of  them,  Nicholls  and  Woodbine,  of 
Pensacola  and  Fort  Bowyer  memory,  that  the  Semi- 
nole  war  is  principally  to  be  traced.  These  men,  to 
gether  with  other  foreign  refugees,  remained  in  Florida 
after  the  conclusion  of  the  war  with  Great  Britain, 
and  practised  upon  the  savage  propensities  of  the  In 
dians,  misrepresenting  their  claims  and  titles  to  lands 
lying  within  the  United  States.  Men  who  thus  con 
nect  themselves  with  savage  communities,  and  stimu 
late  them  to  war,  which  is  always  attended  on  their 
part  with  the  most  shocking  acts  of  barbarity,  deserve 
to  be  viewred  in  a  worse  light  than  the  savages.  They 
would  certainly  have  no  claim  to  an  immunity  from 
the  punishment  which,  according  to  the  rules  of  war 
fare  practised  by  the  Indians,  might  justly  be  inflicted 
on  the  savages  themselves. 

It  was  incumbent  on  the  United  States  not  to  per 
mit  the  inability  of  Spain  to  sustain  her  authority  in 
the  Floridas,  to  be  perverted  by  foreign  adventurers 


BUCCANEERS. 


419 


Monroe. 


and  savages,  to  purposes  so  destructive  to  the  lives 
of  the  citizens  and  the  highest  interests  of  the  govern 
ment  of  the  United  States.  The  right  of  self-defence 
never  ceases.  It  is  among  the  most  sacred,  and  alike 
necessary  to  nations  and  individuals.  The  object  of 
the  invaders  of  Amelia  Island  being  distinctly  seen, 
the  President  of  the  United  States,  Mr.  Monroe,  thought 
it  his  duty  to  suppress  the  establishment,  and  it  was 
accordingly  done.  Captain  Henly,  of  the  United  States 
32* 


4*20  THE   SEMINOLE   WAR. 

navy,  took  possession  of  the  island  on  the  22d  of 
December,  1817. 

The  combination  in  Florida  for  the  unlawful  pur 
poses  stated,  the  acts  perpetrated  by  that  combination, 
and  above  all,  the  incitement  of  the  Indians  to  mas 
sacre  American  citizens,  of  every  age,  and  of  both 
sexes,  merited  a  like  treatment,  and  received  it.* 

After  havino-  been  driven  from  Pensacola  and  the 

o 

Barrancas  by  General  Jackson,  Colonel  Nicholls  re 
moved  to  the  Apalachicola  river,  where  he  established 
a  fort  within  the  limits  of  Florida,  and  near  St.  Mark's. 
This  fort  was  made  an  asylum  for  the  base  and  des 
perate  of  every  people  and  nation  ;  all  vagrant  Indians, 
fugitive  negroes,  Spanish  renegadoes,  British  male 
factors,  outlaws,  and  pirates,  were  associated  here  to 
foment  and  breed  plots  of  blood  and  torture,  murder 
and  treason.  Nichols  retained  this  post  several  months 
after  the  ratification  of  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  by  which 
peace  was  proclaimed  between  the  United  States  and 
Great  Britain.  He  occupied  his  time  in  collecting  and 
training  the  savages  and  negroes,  and  stimulating  them 
to  hostilities  with  the  United  States.  The  most  nu 
merous  occupants  of  the  interior,  were  the  Seminole 
Indians,  originally  outcasts  from  the  Creeks,  and  other 
Indian  tribes.  The  hostile  Creeks,  who  had  been  ex 
pelled  from  their  lands  by  General  Jackson,  together 
with  other  fugitives,  from  the  more  northern  tribes,  had 
united  with  the  Seminoles,  under  the  name  of  Red-sticks. 
This  name  was  given  to  them  because,  at  their  prin 
cipal  village  of  Mickasuky,  they  had  erected  a  high 

*  Monroe's  second  Annual  Message. 


INDIAN    DEPREDATIONS.  421 

pole,  on  which  to  hang  the  scalps  of  murdered  Ameri 
can  citizens,  and  painted  it  red,  to  denote  their  thirst 
for  the  blood  of  the  whites.  Such  were  the  tools  which 
Nicholls,  and  a  few  other  designing  white  men,  found 
ready  prepared  for  their  hands. 

These  hostile  companies  were  encouraged  by  the 
Spanish  authorities,  who  represented  their  government 
as  their  protector,  and  the  Americans  as  their  ene 
mies,  having  no  wish  but  to  seize  their  lands  and  ex 
terminate  their  race.  These  garrisons,  and  the 
British  traders,  purchased  whatever  plunder  the  In 
dians  could  take  from  the  people  of  Georgia  and  Ala 
bama,  and  gave  them,  in  exchange  for  it,  weapons, 
powder  and  ball. 

As  early  as  September,  1812,  the  Seminole  Indians 
and  negroes,  instigated  by  the  Governor  of  St.  Augus 
tine,  attacked  the  defenceless  settlers  on  the  St.  John's 
and  St.  Mary's  rivers ;  on  the  St.  John's,  they  killed 
and  scalped  eight  or  ten  persons ;  and  on  the  Georgia 
side  of  the  St.  Mary's,  they  killed  and  scalped  one,  and 
wounded  two  more.  In  the  same  month,  an  attack 
was  made  upon  Captain  Williams,  who,  with  a  non 
commissioned  officer  and  nineteen  men,  was  escorting 
some  provision  wagons  through  the  state  of  Georgia. 
They  were  assailed  by  a  party  of  Indians  and  uegroes, 
to  the  number  of  fifty  or  sixty ;  who  killed  the  two 
officers,  wounded  six  men,  captured  the  wagons  and 
carried  them  to  St.  Augustine.  Thus  they  continued 
to  make  depredations  upon  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  until  the  arrival  of  Nicholls  and  Woodbine, 
when  their  operations  began  to  assume  more  form, 


422  THE  SEMINOLE  WAR. 

and  they  afterwards  evinced  the  presence  of  an  active 
and  thinking  leader. 

The  correspondence  of  Colonel  Nicholls  with  Colonel 
Hawkins,  shows  that  he  did  not  view  the  peace  con 
cluded  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain, 
as  putting  an  end  to  his  operations  at  his  fort,  or  to 
his  negotiations  with  the  Indians  against  the  United 
States.  In  his  letter  of  the  12th  of  May,  1815,  to 
Colonel  Hawkins — a  letter  that  would  disgrace  a 
Vandal — he  exults  in  the  security  of  his  position — pre 
scribes  limits  to  the  people  of  the  United  States — and 
threatens  with  instant  death  every  one  who  shall  ven 
ture  to  transgress  them.  In  this  letter  he  says: — 
"  I  have  ordered  the  Indians  to  stand  on  the  defensive, 
and  have  sent  them  a  large  supply  of  arms  and  am 
munition;  arid  told  them  to  put  to  death,  without 
mercy,  any  one  molesting  them.  They  have  con 
sented  to  wait  your  answer  before  they  take  revenge. 
But,  sir,  they  are  impatient  for  it,  well  armed  as 
the  whole  nation  now  is,  and  stored  with  ammunition 
and  provisions,  having  a  strong  hold  to  retire  to,  in 
case  of  a  superior  force  appearing. 

"  I  am  also  desired  to  say  to  you,  by  the  chiefs, 
that  they  do  not  find  that  your  citizens  are  evacuating 
their  lands,  according  to  the  ninth  article  of  the  treaty 
of  peace ;  but  that  they  were  fresh  provisioning  the 
forts.  They  also  request  me  to  inform  you,  that  they 
have  signed  a  treaty  of  offensive  and  defensive  alliance 
with  Great  Britain,  as  well  as  one  of  commerce  and 
navigation ;  which,  as  soon  as  ratified  at  home,  you 
shall  be  made  more  fully  acquainted  with." 

Nicholls  having  established  his  government,  begins 


CONDITION    OF    FLORIDA. 


423 


Francis  Hillishago. 


to  think  of  foreign  alliances.  He  assumes  the  diplo 
matist — is  converted  into  a  minister  plenipotentiary 
of  both  parties — makes,  in  behalf  of  his  subjects,  a 
treaty,  offensive  and  defensive,  and  a  treaty  of  com 
merce  and  navigation  with  Great  Britain,  and  proceeds 
to  England  to  obtain  their  ratification.  Francis  Hil 
lishago,  one  of  the  principal  chiefs  of  the  Seminoles, 
accompanied  him ;  and  in  the  meantime  his  people 
were  left  to  themselves ;  who  commanded  or  governed 
them  is  not  distinctly  known,  until  the  unfortunate 
Ambrister  and  Arbuthnot,  the  one  an  Englishman  and 
the  other  a  Scotchman,  succeeded  to  the  government. 
It  is,  however,  well  known  that  these  desperadoes 
were  not  inactive ;  that  the  unfortunate  inhabitants  of 
the  frontiers  of  Georgia  and  Alabama  felt  the  full 


424  THE    SEMINOLE    WAR. 

weight  of  the  vengeance  threatened  by  Nicholls,  and 
that  the  Spanish  officers  beheld  with  perfect  com 
posure  these  atrocities  committed  within  their  own 
jurisdiction.  So  far  from  putting  a  stop  to  them,  the 
governor  of  Pensacola  encouraged,  and  endeavoured 
to  protect  them.  Early  in  1816,  General  Jackson 
wrote  to  him,  complaining  of  this  nuisance.  The 
governor,  in  his  answer,  dated  May  26th,  1816,  pre 
tended  to  deprecate  its  existence,  and  to  regret  his 
want  of  authority  and  means  to  break  it  up ;  promised 
to  write  for  orders,  but  hoped  that  the  United  States 
would  not  violate  the  neutrality  of  Spain  by  attempting 
to  suppress  it  themselves. 

After  waiting  two  months,  and  the  governor  of  Pen 
sacola  still  manifesting  no  symptoms  of  suppressing  the 
establishment,  Colonel  Clinch,  with  a  detachment  of 
United  States  troops,  and  five  hundred  friendly  Indians, 
under  the  command  of  M'Intosh,  were  despatched 
with  orders  to  reduce  the  negro  fort  on  the  Apala- 
chicola.  On  the  approach  of  their  enemy,  Nicholls  and 
Woodbine,  who  had  returned  from  England,  exacted 
an  oath  from  those  in  the  fort,  that  they  would  not  suf 
fer  an  American  to  approach  alive ;  and  then  giving  it 
up  to  them,  retired  and  secured  their  own  safety. 

To  supply  Colonel  Clinch's  forces  with  munitions 
and  provisions  for  the  siege,  two  schooners  from  New 
Orleans  proceeded  up  the  Apalachicola,  under  convoy 
of  two  gun-boats,  on  the  10th  of  July,  1816.  When 
near  the  fort,  a  watering  party  of  seven  men,  from  the 
schooners,  was  surprised  by  an  ambuscade  of  negroes 
and  Indians ;  five  were  killed,  one  escaped,  and  one 
was  captured,  tarred  and  feathered,  and  burnt  at  the 


DESTRUCTION    OF  THE    NEGRO    FORT.      425 

stake.  The  gun-boats,  having  but  a  twelve-pounder 
and  twenty-five  men  each,  were  deemed  insufficient  by 
Colonel  Clinch  to  attack  the  fort,  which  was  defended 
by  about  four  hundred  negroes  and  Indians,  and  for 
tified  with  twelve  pieces  of  artillery.  Their  com 
mander,  consequently,  was  cautioned  against  attempt 
ing  any  offensive  operations.  Not  deterred  by  this,  he 
warped  up  sufficiently  near  to  reach  it,  and  commenced 
firing  hot  shot.  One  of  the  shot  entered  the  principal 
magazine,  and  the  fort  was  blown  up.  The  destruction 
was  complete ;  two  hundred  and  seventy  of  the  enemy 
were  killed ;  most  of  the  remainder  were  badly  wounded, 
and  only  three  of  the  whole  number  escaped  unhurt. 
An  immense  quantity  of  arms  and  munitions  of  war, 
designed  for  supplying  the  Indians  and  negroes  with 
the  means  of  annoying  the  frontier  settlers,  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  conquerors ;  and  two  chiefs,  who  had  di 
rected  the  torture  of  the  captured  prisoner,  were  given 
over  to  the  tender  mercies  of  M'Intosh's  Indians. 
Thus  was  one  of  these  hordes  of  savages  broken  up.* 
In  East  Florida,  the  war  was  not  so  easily  ended. 
This  region  was  under  the  immediate  command  of 
General  Gaines,  who,  on  the  30th  of  October,  1817, 
received  a  letter  from  the  war  department,  which, 
after  directing  him  to  call  a  detachment  of  the  Georgia 
militia  into  service,  states  "  that  the  assurance  of  an 
additional  force,  the  president  flatters  himself,  will  at 
least  have  the  effect  of  restraining  the  Seminoles  from 
committing  further  depredations,  and  perhaps  of  in 
ducing  them  to  make  reparation  for  the  murders  which 

*  Moore's  Indian  Wars. 
54 


426  THE   SEMINOLE   WAR. 

they  have  committed ;  should  they,  however,  persevere 
in  their  refusal  to  make  such  reparation,  it  is  the  wish 
of  the  president  that  you  should  not,  on  that  account, 
pass  the  line,  and  make  an  attack  upon  them  within 
the  limits  of  Florida,  until  you  shall  have  received 
further  instructions  from  this  department.  You  are 
authorized  to  remove  the  Indians  still  remaining  on 
the  lands  ceded  by  the  treaty  made  by  General  Jackson 
with  the  Creeks." 

The  assurance  of  an  additional  force  did  not  re 
strain  the  Indians  from  committing  further  depreda 
tions,  and  they  manifested  no  disposition  to  make 
the  reparation  alluded  to  by  the  secretary  of  war.  In 
the  fall  of  1817,  while  her  husband  was  absent  attend 
ing  to  the  business  of  his  farm,  the  Indians  attacked 
the  dwelling-house  of  Mrs.  Garrett,  and  no  resistance 
being  offered,  they  murdered  and  scalped  her  and  one 
of  her  children,  while  the  youngest,  a  mere  infant,  was 
dashed  to  pieces  on  the  door-post. 

Towards  the  end  of  November,  a  war-party  of 
Seminoles  captured  an  American,  and  conveyed  him 
immediately  to  Mickasuky,  their  principal  village, 
where  it  appears  Francis  Hillishago  and  his  family 
dwelt.  "  The  American,  whose  name  was  M'  Krimmon, 
was  ordered  to  be  immediately  burned  to  death.  The 
stake  was  prepared,  M' Krimmon,  with  his  head  shaved, 
was  bound  to  it,  and  wood  was  piled  up  about  him. 
When  the  Indians  had  finished  their  dance,  and  a  fire 
was  about  to  be  kindled,  a  daughter  of  the  chief, 
named  Milly,  who  had  witnessed  the  preparations  with 
a  sad  countenance,  flew  to  her  father,  Hillishago,  and 
upon  her  knees,  begged  that  he  would  spare  the  priso- 


RESCUE    OF    M'KRIMMON. 


427 


Rescue  of  M'Krimmou. 


ner's  life;  and  it  was  not  until,  like  the  celebrated 
Pocahontas,  she  showed  a  determination  to  perish 
with  him,  that  her  father  consented  to  prolong  his  life 
for  the  present.  It  was  still  his  intention,  if  he  could 
not  sell  the  victim  for  a  certain  sum,  to  have  carried 
his  former  purpose  into  effect ;  but  on  offering  him  to 
the  Spaniards  at  St.  Mark's,  the  demanded  ransom, 
seven  and  a  half  gallons  of  rum,  was  paid  for  him,  and 
he  was  transferred  to  the  Spaniards,  and  afterwards 
liberated  by  the  Americans  at  the  capture  of  St.  Mark's. 
"  After  Hillishago  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Ameri 
cans  and  was  hanged,  his  family,  consisting  of  a  wife 
and  several  daughters,  surrendered  themselves  to  the 
Americans  at  St.  Mark's.  The  youngest  daughter, 
Milly,  about  fourteen  years  of  age,  was  treated  with 
great  attention  by  all  the  officers,  for  having  saved 
33 


428  THE  SEMINOLE  WAR. 

the  life  of  M'Krimmon.  She  was  said  to  have  been 
very  handsome.  When  M'Krimmon  heard  of  her 
being  among  the  captives,  he  went  and  offered  him 
self  to  her  as  her  husband.  She  would  not,  however, 
receive  him,  until  satisfied  that  he  was  prompted  to 
offer  himself  from  other  motives  than  a  sense  of  the 
supposed  obligation  of  his  life  having  been  saved  by 
her."* 

The  instructions  from  the  war  department,  dated 
October  30th,  1817,  did  not  reach  General  Gaines 
until  the  middle  of  November,  when  he  immediately 
issued  his  orders  for  the  removal  of  the  Creeks  still 
remaining  in  the  ceded  territory.  He  sent  an  officer 
to  Foultown,  an  Indian  settlement  a  few  miles  below 
Fort  Scott,  to  summon  its  chief,  Hornotlimed  or  Ho- 
mattlemico,  to  repair  to  the  fort  and  answer  for  his 
conduct  in  not  quitting  the  territory.  The  Indian  re 
turned  a  haughty  refusal,  either  to  appear  at  the  fort 
or  to  quit  the  territory.  Major  Twiggs  being  de 
spatched  on  the  next  day,  with  two  hundred  and  fifty 
men,  to  bring  the  chiefs  and  warriors  to  Fort  Scott, 
was  attacked  by  the  Indians ;  but  he  repulsed  and  put 
them  to  flight,  after  killing  four  warriors,  and  wound 
ing  a  few  more.  Four  days  after,  the  same  officer 
was  sent  to  destroy  the  town,  which  he  found  deserted. 

Fort  Scott  was  situated  on  the  Flint  river,  near  its 
junction  with  the  Chattahoochee.  Being  in  want  of  pro 
visions  and  military  stores,  General  Gaines  ordered  a 
supply  from  Mobile.  Accordingly,  Major  Muhlenburg 
sailed  with  three  vessels  for  the  fort,  but  when  he 

*  Drake's  Book  of  the  Indians. 


SURPRISE    OF   LIEUTENANT   SCOTT.         429 

reached  the  mouth  of  the  Apalachicola,  he  was  de 
tained  by  contrary  winds,  and  the  sickness  of  his  crew. 
There  were  also  on  board  of  his  vessels,  volunteers  for 
the  several  forts,  with  their  wives  and  children.  On 
the  30th  of  November,  a  party  of  forty  men,  under 
Lieutenant  Scott,  was  sent  down  the  river  to  their  as 
sistance.  The  boat  reached  the  vessels  in  safety,  and 
Muhlenburg  transferred  twenty  of  the  men  to  his  ves 
sels  to  aid  him  in  working  them  up  the  river;  and  their 
places  being  filled  by  the  sick,  together  with  seven 
women  and  four  children,  Scott  started  to  return  to 
the  fort.  At  the  mouth  of  Flint  river,  the  boat  was 
attacked  by  an  ambuscade  of  Indians  under  the  direc 
tion  of  Hornotlimed,  and  all  were  killed,  except  six  sol 
diers,  who  escaped  to  the  opposite  shore  by  swimming, 
and  one  woman,  who  was  carried  off  a  prisoner.  Four 
little  children  were  taken  by  the  legs  and  their  brains 
dashed  out  against  the  side  of  the  boat.  The  scalps 
of  the  killed  were  taken  to  the  Mickasuky  village,  and 
added  to  the  trophies  on  the  red  pole  of  the  Indians. 
The  vessels,  retarded  by  the  current  and  northerly 
winds,  and  constantly  assailed  by  strong  parties  of  In 
dians,  were  in  the  greatest  peril,  when  another  boat, 
secured  by  bulwarks,  was  sent  down  to  their  aid. 
With  this  assistance,  and  a  favourable  change  of  wind, 
the  vessels  at  last  reached  Fort  Scott. 

Before  the  news  of  the  massacre  of  Lieutenant 
Scott  and  his  party  reached  Washington,  the  secre 
tary  of  war  had  despatched  three  other  orders  to  Gen 
eral  Gaines.  The  first  of  these,  dated  December  2d, 
1817,  remarks:  "The  state  of  our  negotiations  with 
Spain,  and  the  temper  manifested  by  the  principal  Eu- 


430 


THE   SEMINOLE   WAR. 


Indians  attacking  Lieutenant  Scott's  party. 


ropean  powers,  make  it  impolitic,  in  the  opinion  of  the 
president,  to  move  a  force  at  this  time  into  the  Span 
ish  possessions,/or  the  mere  purpose  of  chastising  the 
Seminoles  for  depredations  which  have  heretofore  been 
committed  by  them."  By  the  second,  bearing  date  the 
9th  of  December,  General  Gaines  was  instructed,  that 


GAINES    ENTERS  FLORIDA.  431 

should  the  Indians  appear  in  force  on  the  Spanish  side 
of  the  line,  and  persevere  in  committing  hostilities 
within  the  limits  of  the  United  States,  he  was  to  exer 
cise  sound  discretion  as  to  the  propriety  of  crossing  the 
line,  for  the  purpose  of  attacking  them  and  breaking 
up  their  towns.  The  third,  dated  December  16th,  fur 
ther  instructed  him,  that "  should  the  Seminole  Indians 
still  refuse  to  make  reparation  for  their  outrages  and 
depredations  on  the  citizens  of  the  United  States,  it  is 
the  wish  of  the  president  that  you  consider  yourself  at 
liberty  to  march  across  the  Florida  line,  and  to  attack 
them  within  its  limits,  should  it  be  found  necessary, 
unless  they  should  shelter  themselves  under  a  Spanish 
fort.  In  the  last  event,  you  will  immediately  notify 
this  department."  In  obedience  to  this  last  order, 
General  Gaines  entered  Florida,  and  proceeded  to 
wards  Amelia  Island,  where  a  considerable  number  of 
the  enemy  were  reported  to  have  established  themselves. 
On  receiving  intelligence  of  the  destruction  of  Lieu 
tenant  Scott  and  his  party,  the  president  determined 
on  taking  more  vigorous  measures  against  the  hostile 
Seminoles.  The  time  had  arrived  when  it  was  abso 
lutely  necessary  for  the  United  States  to  exert  their 
power  to  put  an  end  to  the  war.  The  safety  of  the 
people,  the  supreme,  irrevocable  law  of  all  nations,  de 
manded  that  this  savage  war,  carried  on  by  hostile 
Indians  and  negroes,  and  excited  by  foreign  emissaries, 
who  had  identified  themselves  with  the  savages,  be 
terminated.  Accordingly,  on  the  26th  of  December, 
the  secretary  of  war  addressed  a  letter  to  Major-Gen- 
eral  Jackson,  then  at  his  residence  in  Nashville,  order 
ing  him  to  repair,  with  as  little  delay  as  possible,  to 
33* 


432  THE   SEMINOLE   WAR. 

Fort  Scott,  and  assume  the  immediate  command  of  the 
forces  in  that  quarter  of  the  southern  division.  After 
stating  the  number  of  regulars  on  whom  he  could 
rely  to  be  eight  hundred,  and  that  General  Gaines  had 
estimated  the  strength  of  the  enemy  to  be  twenty-seven 
hundred,  he  was  directed,  if,  in  his  opinion,  the  troops 
of  the  United  States  were  too  few  in  number  to  beat 
the  enemy,  to  call  upon  the  executives  of  the  adjacent 
states  for  additional  forces ;  and  to  adopt  the  neces 
sary  measures  to  terminate  a  conflict  which  it  had 
ever  been  the  desire  of  the  president,  from  conside 
rations  of  humanity,  to  have  avoided,  but  which  was 
now  made  necessary  by  the  continued  hostility  of  the 
Indians.  The  orders  previously  given  to  General 
Gaines  were  enclosed,  as  the  rules  by  which  his  con 
duct  was  to  be  governed.  These  orders  were  received 
by  General  Jackson  on  the  12th  of  January,  1818. 

General  Gaines  had  called  upon  the  executive  of 
Georgia  for  a  reinforcement  of  militia ;  but  the  miser 
able  system  of  temporary  drafting  had  been  adopted ; 
a  thousand  men  had  been  enlisted  for  three  months ; 
but  the  delays  incident  to  the  movements  of  militia, 
and  the  want  of  seasonable  supplies,  had  so  consumed 
the  time,  that  their  term  of  service  expired  before 
they  could  be  brought  into  active  service,  and  a  second 
detachment  of  a  thousand  men  was  ordered  out  to  sup 
ply  their  places. 

The  practice  of  provisioning  troops  by  contract, 
instead  of  a  commissariat,  which  had  been  adopted  as  a 
matter  of  economy  since  the  commencement  of  the 
war  in  1812,  we  have  already  seen  attended  with 
great  injury  to  the  troops  under  General  Jackson,  in 


SUBSISTENCE    OF   THE    ARMY.  433 

the  prosecution  of  the  Creek  war.  It  was  equally  in 
jurious  to  the  active  services  required  in  the  south. 
The  rise  in  the  price  of  provisions,  and  the  unforeseen 
difficulties  attending  their  transportation,  caused  a  loss 
to  the  contractor ;  one  of  his  principal  agents  failed  ; 
the  provisions  were  not  furnished;  the  troops  were 
put  on  short  allowance ;  and  Fort  Scott  was  on  the 
point  of  being  abandoned,  on  account  of  actual  star 
vation.  The  sound  views  of  General  Jackson  on  this 
subject  are  worthy  of  notice,  as  coming  from  one 
who  experienced  all  the  evils  of  the  system,  and  who 
perfectly  understood  its  operation.  He  remarks,  "  The 
mode  of  provisioning  an  army  by  contract  is  not 
adapted  to  the  prompt  and  efficient  movement  of 
troops.  It  may  answer  in  time  of  peace,  where  a  fail 
ure  or  delay  cannot  produce  any  serious  ill  conse 
quences  ;  but  where  active  operations  are  necessary, 
and  success  dependent  on  prompt  and  quick  move 
ments,  no  dependence  is  to  be  placed  on  the  contractor. 
His  views  are  purely  mercenary ;  and  where  the  sup 
plies  will  not  insure  a  profit,  he  hesitates  not  on  a 
failure,  never  regarding  how  far  it  may  defeat  the 
best-advised  plans  of  the  command er-in-chief.  Expe 
rience  has  confirmed  me  in  this  opinion,  and  the  recent 
failure  has  prompted  me  again  to  express  it." 

Knowing  thus  the  dependence  to  be  placed  on 
militia  and  army  contractors,  General  Jackson  deter 
mined  rather  than  trust  to  the  latter,  "  to  subsist  on 
the  enemy;"  and  that  he  might  not  be  disap 
pointed  in  the  call  which  he  made  upon  the  governor 
of  Georgia  for  militia,  he  resolved  to  carry  with  him 
his  old  fellow-soldiers,  the  Tennessee  volunteers.  He 
55 


434  THE  SEMINOLE   WAR. 

accordingly,  lost  no  time,  but  immediately  issued  the 
following  address,  exhorting  them  to  resume  their 
armour : — 

"  Volunteers  of  Tennessee ! — Once  more,  after  a 
repose  of  three  years,  you  are  summoned  to  the  field. 
Your  country  having  again  need  for  your  services, 
has  appealed  to  your  patriotism,  and  you  have  met  it 
promptly.  The  cheerfulness  with  which  you  have 
appeared  to  encounter  the  hardships  and  perils  of  a 
winter's  campaign,  affords  the  highest  evidence  of 
what  may  be  expected  of  you,  in  the  hour  of  conflict 
and  trial. 

"  The  savages  on  your  borders,  unwilling  to  be  at 
peace,  have  once  more  raised  the  tomahawk  to  shed 
the  blood  of  our  citizens,  and  already  they  are  as 
sembled  in  considerable  force,  to  carry  their  murderous 
schemes  into  execution.  Not  contented  with  the  liberal 
policy  that  has  from  time  to  time  been  shown  them, 
but  yielding  themselves  victims  to  foreign  seducers, 
they  vainly  think  to  assail  and  conquer  the  country 
that  protects  them.  Stupid  mortals  !  They  have 
forgotten  too  soon  the  streams  of  blood  their  ill-fated 
policy  heretofore  cost  them.  They  have  forgotten 
too,  that  but  a  short  time  since,  conquered,  and  almost 
destroyed,  they  were  only  preserved  by  the  mildness 
and  humanity  of  that  country  which  they  now  oppose. 
They  must  now  be  taught,  that  however  benevolent 
and  humane  that  country  is,  she  yet  has  sacred  rights 
to  protect,  and  will  not  permit  with  impunity  the 
butchery  of  her  peaceable  and  unoffending  citizens. 

"  Brave  volunteers  ! — The  enemy  you  are  going  to 
contend  with,  you  have  heretofore  met  and   fought. 


THE    TENNESSEE    VOLUNTEERS.  435 

jfou  have  once  done  it,  and  can  again  conquer  them. 
You  go  not  to  fight,  but  to  be  victorious ;  remember, 
then,  that  the  way  to  prove  successful,  is  not  by  being 
inattentive  to  the  first  duties  of  a  soldier,  but  by  bear 
ing  and  executing  with  cheerfulness  the  orders  of  su 
periors,  and  being  constantly  mindful  of  the  obligations 
you  are  under  to   your  country  and   to   yourselves. 
Subordination  and  attention  to  discipline  are  all-im 
portant  and  indispensable  ;  without  them,  nothing  like 
system  can  be  preserved,  and  this  being  wanted,  no 
thing  favourable  can  result.     But  in  you  every  con 
fidence  is  reposed.     Your  general  will  not  believe  that 
brave  men,  who  have  so  promptly  come  forth  at  the  call 
of  their  country,  will  withhold  their  assent  to  regu 
lations  which  can  alone  insure  them  safety  and  success. 
Hardships  and  dangers  are  incident  to  war ;  but  brave 
men  will  bear  them  without  murmuring  or  complaining. 
Knowing  you  to  be  such,  no  fears  are  entertained  but 
that  every  duty  imposed  on  you,  will  be   met  with 
promptness  and  cheerfulness. 

"  Your  general  goes  before  you  to  open  the  way, 
and  prepare  for  your  reception.  Confiding  in  your  di 
ligence  and  exertions,  he  will  expect  your  arrival  at 
your  destined  point,  without  unnecessary  delay — led 
by  Colonel  Arthur  P.  Hayne,  an  officer  in  whom  he 
has  every  confidence.  This  being  effected,  he  will 
place  himself  at  your  head,  and  with  you  share  the 
dangers  and  hardships  of  the  campaign." 

Like  the  war-horse  at  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  the 
brave  volunteers  of  Tennessee  no  sooner  heard  the 
voice  of  their  beloved  general  and  companion,  calling 
upon  them  to  follow  him,  than  they  bounded  to  meet 


436 


THE    SEMINOLE    WAR. 


To  Arms ! 


him.  At  the  appointed  time,  the  required  Dumber 
repaired  to  the  rendezvous  at  Fayetteville,  and  under 
the  command  of  Colonel  Hayne,  inspector-general  of 
the  department  of  the  south,  took  up  the  line  of  march 
for  Fort  Scott,  by  the  way  of  Fort  Gaines. 

On  the  ICth  of  January,  1818,  the  secretary  of 
war  wrote  to  General  Gaines,  informing  him  that  the 
honour  of  the  United  States  required  that  the  war 
with  the  Seminoles  should  be  terminated  speedily, 
and  with  exemplary  punishment  for  hostilities  so  un 
provoked  ;  and  that  orders  were  issued,  directing  the 
war  to  be  carried  on  within  the  limits  of  Florida,  should 
it  be  necessary  to  its  speedy  and  effectual  termination. 
These  orders,  it  was  presumed,  he  had  received.  That 
as  soon  as  it  was  known  that  he  had  repaired  to 


JACKSON   TAKES   THE   COMMAND.  439 

Amelia  Island,  in  obedience  to  them,  and  it  being  un 
certain  how  long  he  might  be  detained  there,  the  state 
of  things  at  Fort  Scott  made  it  necessary  to  order 
General  Jackson  to  take  command  there.  From  his 
known  promptitude,  it  was  presumable  that  his  arrival 
might  be  soon  expected. 

A  letter  from  the  secretary  of  war  to  General 
Jackson,  dated  January  29th,  1818,  acknowledged 
the  receipt  of  letters  from  him  of  the  12th  and  13th 
of  that  month ;  and  states  that  the  measures  he  had 
taken  to  bring  an  efficient  force  into  the  field  were 
approved ;  and  it  concluded  by  expressing  a  confident 
hope  that  a  speedy  and  successful  termination  of  the 
Indian  war  would  follow  his  exertions. 

General  Jackson  left  Nashville  on  the  22d  of  Jan 
uary,  1818,  and,  having  made  arrangements  with 
Colonel  Gibson,  his  quartermaster-general,  for  for 
warding  provisions  from  New  Orleans,  he  proceeded 
rapidly  towards  the  seat  of  war.  On  the  10th  of  Feb 
ruary,  he  arrived  at  Fort  Hawkins,  and  on  the  14th, 
at  Hartford  in  Georgia,  where  he  used  every  exertion 
to  hasten  the  movements  of  the  militia  called  out  by 
the  governor.  At  Fort  Early,  on  the  26th,  he  put 
himself  at  the  head  of  the  Georgia  militia,  who  mus 
tered  nine  hundred  bayonets,  and  some  friendly 
Creeks.  With  this  brigade,  he  reached  Fort  Scott  on 
the  9th  of  March,  and  the  next  morning  assumed  the 
chief  command.  He  found  the  troops  at  the  fort  in  a 
starving  condition,  with  only  one  quart  of  corn  to  each 
man,  and  a  few  lean  cattle.  Having  brave'y  deter 
mined  to  subsist  on  the  enemy  until  the  arrival  of  pro 
visions  from  New  Orleans,  he  immediately  ordered  the 


440  THE    SEMINOLE    WAR, 

cattle  to  be  slaughtered,  the  provisions  distributed  to 
the  troops,  and  the  line  of  march  to  be  taken  up  at 
noon. 

Here  he  received  a  letter  from  the  secretary  of  war, 
dated  February  6th,  informing  him  of  the  entire  ap 
probation  of  the  president  of  all  the  measures  he  had 
adopted  to  terminate  the  war ;  and  stating  that  the 
honour  of  the  army,  as  well  as  the  interest  of  the 
country,  required  that  it  should  be  terminated  as  soon 
as  practicable.  He  was  also  instructed  to  restore 
peace  on  such  conditions  as  would  make  it  honourable 
and  permanent. 

He  crossed  the  Flint  river  on  the  10th  of  March, 
and  advanced  with  his  army  towards  the  mouth  of  the 
Apalachicola.  On  the  16th,  he  arrived  at  Prospect 
Bluff,  the  site  of  the  Indian  and  negro  fort  which  had 
been  blown  up  by  the  fire  of  the  American  gun-boats, 
in  the  month  of  July,  1817.  This  Jackson  ordered 
to  be  rebuilt,  designing  to  use  it  as  a  depot  for  the 
provisons  expected  from  New  Orleans.  He  called  it 
Fort  Gadsden,  in  honour  of  one  of  his  aids.  General 
Gaines  joined  him  on  his  march  to  Fort  Gadsden. 

It  was  the  design  of  General  Jackson  to  provision 
his  posts  on  the  Florida  border,  by  shipping  the  pro 
visions  from  New  Orleans,  and  distributing  them  to  the 
different  posts,  by  means  of  the  rivers  which,  passing 
through  Florida,  communicate  with  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
This,  he  well  knew,  could  not  be  done  against  the  will 
of  the  Spanish  authorities,  without  violating  the  rights 
of  that  nation.  Fort  Crawford  being  situated  on  the 
head  waters  of  the  Escambia  river,  which  commu 
nicates  with  the  gulf,  by  the  Bay  of  Pensacola,  and 


JACKSON    IN    FLORIDA. 


441 


Rebuilding  of  Fort  Gadsden. 


cannot  be  entered  without  passing  the  fortress  of  Bar 
rancas,  he  wrote  to  the  governor  of  West  Florida, 
saying,  that  he  would  send  his  provisions  for  Fort 
Crawford  by  that  way,  and  that  any  interruption  in 
their  passage,  would  be  considered  as  an  act  of  hos 
tility  against  the  United  States.  The  governor  de 
manded  duties  on  the  stores,  but  permitted  the  vessels 
containing  them  to  sail  past  without  attempting  to  in 
terrupt  them. 

Having  completed  the  necessary  arrangements  at 
Fort  Gadsden,  General  Jackson  started  from  that 
place,  on  the  26th  of  March,  for  the  purpose  of  driving 
the  enemy  from  the  Mickasuky  villages.  When  he 
had  nearly  reached  these  villages,  on  the  1st  of  April,  he 


34 


56 


442  THE    SEMINOLE    WAR. 

was  joined  by  the  main  body  of  the  Tennessee  volun 
teers,  who,  having  heard  of  the  starving  condition  of 
the  garrisons  stationed  at  Forts  Gaines  and  Scott,  had 
taken  a  circuitous  route  through  Georgia,  to  obtain 
subsistence.  As  he  approached  the  principal  village, 
his  advanced  guard  had  a  smart  conflict  with  a  party 
of  Indians,  who  fled  as  soon  as  the  main  body  ap 
proached.  When  the  army  entered  the  towns,  they 
were  found  deserted  by  their  inhabitants.  The  wigwams 
were  burned,  the  adjacent  country  reconnoitred,  and 
an  abundant  supply  of  corn  and  cattle  obtained.  In 
the  council-house  of  the  principal  village,  Jackson 
found  more  than  fifty  fresh  scalps,  and  in  the  centre 
of  the  town,  the  old  Red-stick  standard  stood  crowned 
with  the  scalps,  recognised  by  the  hair  as  those  torn 
from  the  heads  of  the  unfortunate  companions  of  Lieu 
tenant  Scott. 

Hearing  that  a  body  of  five  hundred  negroes  and 
Indians  had  approached  St.  Mark's,  and  having  been 
refused  admittance,  had  demanded  its  surrender ;  and 
knowing  the  duplicity  of  Luengo,  the  governor,  who 
now  pretended  friendship  for  the  Americans,  while  a 
short  time  before  he  had,  to  the  best  of  his  ability, 
aided  and  protected  their  enemies — knowing  these 
things,  General  Jackson  left  M'Intosh  with  his  war 
riors  to  scour  the  country  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  Mickasuky  village,  and  hastened  to  prevent  the 
surrender  of  the  strong  post  of  St.  Mark's  to  the  ene 
mies  of  the  United  States.  From  the  moment  that 
the  Negro-Indian  fort  was  destroyed,  St.  Mark's  had 
become  the  depot  and  storehouse  of  the  savages. 
There  their  councils  were  held,  there  they  sold  their 


CAPTURE    OF    ST.    MARK'S.  445 

bloody  trophies,  torn  from  murdered  Americans,  and 
there  they  received  the  instruments  and  means  of 
future  murders.  Luengo  was  the  adviser,  aider,  and 
protector  of  the  savages,  and  the  friend  and  coadjutor 
of  Alexander  Arbuthnot,  a  noted  instigator  of  the 
Indians  to  hostility.  When  Jackson  appears  on  the 
scene,  Luengo  changes  his  tone ;  he  declares  that  he 
had  acted  in  this  way  only  from  policy ;  and  now, 
from  an  associate  of  the  Indians,  he  becomes  the  friend 
of  the  Americans,  and  evinces  a  sycophancy  which 
every  brave  man  cannot  but  despise.  He  concludes 
a  letter  to  General  Jackson  in  these  words,  "  May 
God  preserve  your  excellency,  is  my  prayer.  I  kiss 
your  excellency's  hand,  and  am  your  most  faithful 
and  obedient  servant."* 

St.  Mark's  was  now  threatened  by  the  hostile  In 
dians  and  negroes,  and  the  Spanish  garrison  was 
unable  to  defend  it  against  them.  It  was  therefore 
necessary  to  occupy  it  with  an  American  garrison,  to 
prevent  it  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  Seminoles, 
who,  uncontrolled  by  Spain,  might  issue  forth  at  any 
time,  murder  the  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and, 
when  closely  pursued,  fall  back  upon  St.  Mark's,  their 
strong  hold.  Accordingly,  General  Jackson  marched 
to  St.  Mark's,  took  possession  of  it  without  the  least 
resistance,  and  shipped  the  Spanish  authorities  and 
garrison  to  Pensacola. 

It  was  near  St.  Mark's  that  Alexander  Arbuthnot 
was  captured.  He  was  a  Scotchman  by  birth,  his 
ostensible  occupation  that  of  a  trader.  He  was  known 

*  See  the  Speech  of  Mr.  Holmes  of  Massachusetts,  in  Congress, 
January,  1819. 


446  THE    SEMINOLE    WAR. 

to  be  engaged  in  an  extensive  commercial  intercourse 
with  the  Indians  and  negroes  of  East  Florida.  He 
sold  them  arms  and  ammunition.  It  was  reported  to 
General  Jackson  that  he  was  the  successor  of  Nicholls; 
that,  knowing  of  the  treaty  of  Fort  Jackson,  of  the 
9th  of  August,  1814,  he  had  pretended  to  the  Indians 
that  they  were  not  bound  by  it,  but  were  relieved  by 
the  treaty  of  Ghent ;  that  he  had  called  for  succours 
from  the  British  government ;  that  he  was  the  asso 
ciate  and  confidant  of  the  commandant  of  St.  Mark's; 
and  that  he  had  long  furnished  the  Indians  with  the 
weapons  of  destruction.  It  was  also  reported  that  he 
had  a  store  at  the  Suwanee  villages,  and  was  the 
owner  of  a  small  schooner,  by  means  of  which  he  im 
ported  lead  and  powder  from  the  Bahamas.  Consi 
dering  these  grounds  sufficient  for  suspicion,  General 
Jackson  put  him  in  close  confinement,  until  he  could 
get  an  opportunity  to  inquire  further  in  the  matter. 

It  was  here  also  that  two  of  the  principal  hostile 
chiefs  were  captured.  Captain  M'Keever,  who  had 
brought  supplies  from  New  Orleans,  had  been  ordered 
to  cruise  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  St.  Mark's,  at 
the  head  of  Apalachee  bay,  in  order  to  intercept  any 
Indians  who  might  endeavour  to  escape  in  that  direc 
tion.  By  hoisting  a  British  flag,  M'Keever  succeeded 
in  decoying  on  board  two  of  the  hostile  chiefs.  One 
of  them,  Hornotlimed,  was  the  chief  who  had  com 
manded  at  the  inhuman  murder  of  Lieutenant  Scott 
and  his  party.  A  deed  more  brutal  and  savage  can 
not  be  found  in  the  annals  of  Indian  warfare.  He 
was  hung,  not  as  an  enemy,  but  as  a  base  murderer, 
marked  with  every  cruelty,  and  stained  with  the  blood 


AMBRISTER    TAKEN.  447 

of  women  and  children.  The  other  chief,  Francis 
Hillishago,  was  also  hung.  It  was  he  who  was  the 
principal  instigator  of  this  war.  It  was  he  who  went 
to  England  with  Nicholls,  where  he  had  received  large 
presents  from  the  king's  stores ;  but  of  these  he  was 
chiefly  defrauded  afterwards  by  the  notorious  Wood 
bine,  who  it  seems  accompanied  him  in  his  travels. 
He  was  also  presented  with  the  commission  of  a  brig 
adier  general,  for  his  services  in  the  British  cause 
during  the  American  war ;  so  that  in  executing  him, 
General  Jackson  did  not  merely  hang  an  Indian,  but 
a  British  officer  also. 

Leaving  a  small  garrison  at  St.  Mark's,  General 
Jackson,  on  the  9th  of  April,  marched  for  the  Suwanee 
villages,  which  lay  about  one  hundred  and  seven  miles 
to  the  eastward  of  St.  Mark's.  On  the  10th,  he  was 
rejoined  by  the  friendly  Indians  under  M' In  tosh,  and 
overtaken  by  the  rear  of  the  volunteers  from  Tennessee. 
On  the  16th,  as  he  approached  the  towns,  a  party  of 
six  mounted  Indians  was  discovered.  They  immedi 
ately  fled  to  the  towns  and  gave  the  alarm.  Jackson 
arrived  there  at  sunset.  The  Indians  at  first  made  a 
show  of  resistance,  but  fled  after  eleven  of  them  had 
been  killed.  Two  prisoners  were  taken.  The  next 
day  the  villages  were  destroyed  ;  a  considerable  quan 
tity  of  corn  and  cattle  secured,  and  the  adjacent  coun 
try  traversed  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy.  Arbuthnot's 
schooner  was  captured  at  the  mouth  of  the  Suwanee 
river,  and  employed  in  transporting  the  sick  and  bag 
gage  of  the  army  to  St.  Mark's.  On  the  1 8th,  Robert 
C.  Ambrister,  late  a  lieutenant  of  marines  in  the  Bri- 
34* 


448  THE   SEMINOLE   WAR. 

tish  service  under  Nicholls,  was  captured  in  the  neigh 
bourhood  of  the  villages.  Ambrister  was  accused  of 
leading  and  inciting  the  Indians  to  make  war  on  the 
Americans,  and  was  detained  a  close  prisoner  until 
the  general  found  an  opportunity  to  examine  the 
evidence  on  which  this  accusation  rested. 

Jackson  now  thought  that  he  had  completely  sub 
dued  the  Indians.  He  saw  their  forces  divided  and 
scattered,  and  deemed  his  presence  in  that  part  of 
the  country  no  longer  necessary.  He  accordingly- 
discharged  the  Georgia  militia  and  M'Intosh's  Indians ; 
and  on  the  21st  of  April,  with  the  regular  troops  and 
Tennessee  volunteers,  commenced  his  return  to  St. 
Mark's,  where  he  arrived  on  the  evening  of  the  25th, 
having  performed  a  march  of  one  hundred  and  seven 
miles  in  five  days,  through  the  swamps  and  wilder 
nesses  of  East  Florida. 

On  the  next  day  he  convened  a  special  court  for  the 
purpose  of  investigating  the  charges  exhibited  against 
Alexander  Arbuthnot  and  Robert  C.  Ambrister;  with 
instructions  to  record  all  the  documents  and  testimony 
in  the  several  cases,  and  give  their  opinion  as  to  the 
guilt  or  innocence  of  the  prisoners,  and  what  punish 
ment  (if  any)  should  be  inflicted.  This  court  of 
inquiry  was  composed  of  Major-General  Gaines)  pre 
sident,  three  colonels,  three  lieutenant-colonels),  four 
majors,  two  captains,  and  a  lieutenant,  who  was  ap 
pointed  recorder.  This  court  continued  in  session 
until  the  night  of  the  28th,  during  which  time  they 
elicited  the  following  facts  with  reference  to  the 

o 

prisoners. 

In  June,  1817,  Arbuthnot  had  obtained  a  power  of 


TRIAL    OF    ARBUTHNOT.  451 

attorney  from  twelve  Seminole  chiefs,  in  very  general 
terms,  authorizing  him  to  act  in  the  affairs  of  their  na 
tion  as  he  thought  proper.     He  had  represented  to 
the  Red-sticks,  or  fugitive  Creeks,  and  induced  them 
to  believe,  that  they  would  be  supported  by  the  British 
government  in  a  war  with  the  United  States  for  the 
recovery  of  their  lands.     He  had  written  to  the  British 
ministry,  to  their  ambassador  at  Washington,  and  to 
the  governor-general  of  the  Bahamas,  soliciting  assist 
ance  for  this  object.     In  his  capacity  of  trader,  he 
had  sold  the  Indians  powder  and  ball,  which  might  be 
applied  to  the  purposes  of  war  as  well  as  of  hunting. 
He  had  induced  the  Indians  to  make  prisoners  of 
Hambly  and  Doyle,  two  Spaniards  settled  on  the  Apa- 
lachicola,  friendly  to  the  Americans,  by  representing 
that  they  were  instrumental  in  bringing  upon  them  the 
forces  of  the  United  States.     While  the  army  was  on 
its  march  from  Mickasuky  to  St.  Mark's,  Arbuthnot, 
being  at  the  latter  place,  wrote  a  letter  to  his  son,  ad 
vising  him  of  its  approach,  and  that  it  was  probably 
destined  for  Suwanee ;  and  directing  him  to  take  the 
measures  necessary  to  secure  his  property ;  to  give 
information  to  the  inhabitants,  and  advise  them,  by  no 
means,  to  attempt  to  fight  the  Americans,  but  to  save 
themselves  by  an  immediate  flight.*     It  was  Arbuth 
not  who  endeavoured  to  instil  into  the  minds  of  the 
Indians,  hatred  and  hostilities  towards  the  Americans ; 
it  was  he  who  poured  the  secret  poison  of  discontent 
into  their  minds ;  it  was  he  who  awakened  the  sleep 
ing  tiger,  and  let  him  loose  against  American  citizens, 
* 

*  Perkins. 


452  THE    SEMINOLE    WAR. 

with  all  his  native  ferocity  whetted  by  exasperation ; 
it  was  he  who  sharpened  with  new  keenness  the  edge 
of  the  tomahawk ;  it  was  he  who  used  the  deluded 
savages  as  the  instrument  of  his  wicked  purposes,  as 
the  man  who  stabs  a  fellow-being  to  the  heart  makes 
use  of  the  poniard. 

Robert  C.  Ambrister  had  formerly  borne  a  lieuten 
ant's  commission  in  the  British  service,  under  Nicholls 
and  Woodbine,  and  had  remained  in  the  Floridas  as 
a  kind  of  successor  and  agent  to  them.  He  had  re 
sided  a  considerable  time  at  Suwanee,  and  pursued 
the  same  general  system  of  measures  in  relation  to 
the  negroes  and  Indians  as  Arbuthnot  had  done ; 
though  not  to  the  same  extent,  or  in  concert  with  him. 
When  the  alarm  was  given  of  the  approach  of  the 
American  troops,  he  put  himself  at  the  head  of  what 
Indians  and  negroes  he  could  rally,  broke  open  Ar- 
buthnot's  store,  and  distributed  its  contents,  among 
which  were  some  powder  and  ball,  to  his  followers, 
and  attempted  to  organize  a  party  to  go  out  and  fight 
the  Americans.* 

The  court  of  inquiry  found  Arbuthnot  guilty  of 
exciting  and  stirring  up  the  Creek  Indians  to  war 
against  the  United  States  and  her  citizens,  he  being  a 
subject  of  Great  Britain,  with  whom  the  United  States 
were  at  peace ;  and  of  aiding,  abetting,  and  comforting 
the  enemy,  and  supplying  them  with  the  means  of 
war.  They  accordingly  sentenced  him  to  be  suspended 
by  the  neck  until  he  was  dead. 

They  also  found  Ambrister  guilty  of  aiding,  abet- 

• 

*  Perkins. 


ARBUTHNOT    AND    AMBRISTER   EXECUTED. 453 

ting,  and  comforting  the  enemy,  and  supplying  them 
with  the  means  of  war,  he  being  a  subject  of  Great 
Britain,  who  were  at  peace  with  the  United  States, 
and  late  an  officer  in  the  British  colonial  marines ; 
and  also  of  leading  and  commanding  the  lower  Creek 
Indians,  in  carrying  on  a  war  against  the  United  States. 
They  therefore  sentenced  him  to  suffer  death,  by  being 
shot.  The  members  of  the  court  requested  a  recon 
sideration  of  the  vote  on  this  sentence ;  and  it  being 
had,  they  sentenced  him  to  receive  fifty  stripes  on  the 
bare  back,  and  to  be  confined  with  a  ball  and  chain, 
at  hard  labour,  for  twelve  months. 

It  is  to  be  remembered  that  this  not  being  a  court- 
martial,  had  no  authority  to  pronounce  sentence  on  the 
prisoners ;  but  as  a  special  court  or  a  court  of  inquiry 
to  inquire  into  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  and  ad 
vise  the  commanding  general,  in  such  cases  as  he 
might  require  their  opinion.  Accordingly,  General 
Jackson  approved  the  sentence  of  the  court  with  re 
gard  to  Alexander  Arbuthnot,  and  he  was  hung  on  the 
29th  of  April.  He  also  approved  the  first  sentence  of 
the  court  in  the  case  of  Robert  C.  Ambrister,  and  dis 
approved  its  reconsideration.  In  passing  final  sen 
tence  upon  Ambrister,  the  general  remarked : — "  It  ap 
pears  from  the  evidence  and  pleading  of  the  prisoner, 
that  he,  being  a  subject  of  Great  Britain,  did  lead  and 
command  within  the  territory  of  Spain,  the  Indians,  in 
a  war  against  the  United  States,  those  nations  being 
at  peace.  It  is  an  established  principle  of  the  law  of 
nations,  that  any  individual  of  a  nation  making  war 
against  the  citizens  of  any  other  nation,  they  being  at 
peace,  forfeits  his  allegiance,  and  becomes  an  outlaw 


454  THE   SEMINOLE   WAR. 

and  pirate.  This  is  the  case  of  Robert  C.  Ambrister, 
clearly  shown  by  the  evidence  adduced."  He  was  ac 
cordingly  shot  on  the  same  day  that  Arbuthnot  was 
executed. 

The  trial  of  these  men  by  a  court,  and  the  rejection 
of  its  sentence  as  to  Ambrister,  by  General  Jackson, 
were  much  complained  of  at  the  time  of  their  occur 
rence  ;  but,  in  the  minds  of  all  thinking  men,  the  justice 
of  their  execution  cannot  admit  of  a  doubt.  "  They 
were  volunteers  in  the  service  of  a  lawless  tribe  of  sa« 
vages,  whose  mode  of  warfare  is  an  indiscriminate 
massacre  of  all  ages  and  sexes.  It  is  right,  it  is  mer 
ciful,  to  inflict  on  these  savages  those  cruelties  which 
they  practise  and  inculcate.  In  this,  however,  it  is 
proper  to  select  the  most  atrocious  and  vindictive. 
To  spare  the  effusion  of  the  blood  even  of  savages,  and 
to  effect  that  security  which  arises  from  eminent  ex 
amples,  it  is  prudent  and  wise  to  select  those  men  as 
objects  of  retaliation  and  punishment,  who  are  the  most 
active  and  successful  in  practising  and  inflicting  cru 
elties.  Who,  then,  could  have  been  selected  as  ex 
amples,  with  more  justice  and  policy,  than  these  two 
foreigners,  who  had  been  taught  in  the  school  of  hu 
manity,  and  understood  the  distresses  which  their  con 
duct  would  inflict  ?  The  general  had  a  right  to  exe 
cute  them  without  trial.  This  right  is  an  executive 
right,  and  rests  in  the  commanding  general.  The  gen 
eral  had  power  to  execute  them  without  trial,  and 
there  was  no  good  reason  why  they  should  be  tried, 
except  the  necessity  of  ascertaining  whether  they  were 
in  fact  concerned  in  provoking  and  prosecuting  hos 
tilities.  Accordingly,  a  special  court  was  appointed  to 


RETURN    TO    FORT    GADSDEN.  455 

ascertain  this  fact.  He  asked  their  opinion  with  re 
spect  to  the  sentence  which  should  be  passed,  but  he 
did  not  delegate  to  them  his  absolute  right  of  passing 
the  judgment  and  sentence  which  the  facts  justified. 
The  truth  was  found  by  the  court,  and  upon  this  it 
was  his  duty  to  decide."*  The  correctness  of  this 
decision  in  the  case  of  Arbuthnot  has  never  been  dis 
puted  ;  while,  with  respect  to  Ambrister,  it  is  but  neces 
sary  to  remember,  that  he  was  a  subject  of  Great  Bri 
tain,  owing  temporary  allegiance  to  the  king  of  Spain, 
but  not  to  Bowlegs  or  Hillishago,  and  that  by  aiding 
savages  to  carry  on  war  against  the  United  States,  he 
violated  the  British  treaty,  the  Spanish  treaty,  the  law 
of  nature,  the  law  of  nations,  and  the  laws  of  war,  and 
justly  suffered  death. 

These  proceedings  of  General  Jackson  were  justi 
fied  by  the  congress  of  the  United  States  and  the 
parliament  of  Great  Britain.  The  Spanish  govern 
ment  complained,  but  were  silenced  by  the  arguments 
of  Mr.  Adams,  then  secretary  of  state. 

On  the  29th  of  April,  General  Jackson  returned 
to  Fort  Gadsden.  There  he  received  intelligence 
that  some  of  the  fugitive  Seminoles  had  escaped  to 
West  Florida,  and  were  collecting  in  great  numbers 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Pensacola ;  and  there  he  de 
termined  on  the  punishment  of  all  the  aiders  and 
abettors  of  the  Indians  in  the  war.  On  the  5th  of 
May  he  wrote  to  the  secretary  of  war,  from  Fort 
Gadsden,  and  gave  him  a  detailed  account  of  his  ope 
rations  in  the  war,  and  also  informed  him  of  the  exe- 

*  See  the  Speech  of  Mr.  Holmes  in  the  House  of  Representatives, 
January,  1819. 


456 


THE   SEMINOLE   WAR. 


John  Quincy  Adams. 


cution  of  Arbuthnot  and  Ambrister.  In  this  despatch, 
he  says,  "  I  hope  the  execution  of  these  two  unprinci 
pled  villains  will  prove  an  awful  example  to  the  world, 
and  convince  the  government  of  Great  Britain,  as  well 
as  her  subjects,  that  certain,  if  slow,  retribution  awaits 
those  unchristian  wretches,  who,  by  false  promises, 
delude  and  excite  an  Indian  tribe  to  all  the  horrid 
deeds  of  savage  war.  Previous  to  my  leaving  Fort 
Gadsden,  I  had  occasion  to  address  a  communication 


JACKSON'S    DESPATCH.  457 

to  the  governor  of  Pensacola,  on  the  subject  of  per 
mitting  supplies  to  pass  up  the  Escambia  river  to  Fort 
Crawford.  This  letter,  with  another  from  St.  Mark's, 
on  the  subject  of  some  United  States'  clothing,  shipped 
in  a  vessel  in  the  employ  of  the  Spanish  government 
to  that  post,  I  now  enclose,  with  his  reply.  The 
governor  of  Pensacola's  refusal  to  my  demand,  cannot 
but  be  viewed  as  a  hostile  feeling  on  his  part,  particu 
larly  in  connexion  with  some  circumstances,  reported 
to  me  from  the  most  unquestionable  authority.  It 
has  been  stated,  that  the  Indians  at  war  with  the 
United  States,  have  free  access  into  Pensacola ;  that 
they  are  kept  advised,  from  that  quarter,  of  all  our 
movements ;  that  they  are  supplied  from  thence  with 
ammunition  and  munitions  of  war ;  and  that  they  are 
now  collecting  in  a  body  to  the  amount  of  four  or  five 
hundred  warriors,  in  that  town;  that  inroads  from 
thence  have  been  lately  made  on  the  Alabama,  in  one 
of  which  eighteen  settlers  fell  by  the  tomahawk. 
These  statements  compel  me  to  make  a  movement  to 
the  west  of  the  Apalachicola ;  and,  should  they  prove 
correct,  Pensacola  must  be  occupied  by  an  American 
force,  and  the  governor  treated  according  to  his  deserts, 
or  as  policy  may  dictate.  I  shall  leave  strong  garri 
sons  in  Forts  St.  Mark's,  Gadsden,  and  Scott,  and  in 
Pensacola,  should  it  be  necessary  to  possess  it.  It 
becomes  my  duty  to  state  it  as  my  confirmed  opinion, 
that  so  long  as  Spain  has  not  the  power  or  will  to 
enforce  the  treaties  by  which  she  is  solemnly  bound 
to  preserve  the  Indians  within  her  territory  at  peace 
with  the  United  States,  no  security  can  be  given  to 
our  southern  frontier,  without  occupying  a  cordon  of 
58  35 


458  THE   SEMINOLE    WAR. 

posts  along  the  shore.  The  moment  the  American 
army  retires  from  Florida,  the  war-hatchet  will  be 
again  raised,  and  the  same  scenes  of  indiscriminate 
massacre,  with  which  our  frontier  settlers  have  been 
visited,  will  be  repeated,  so  long  as  the  Indians  within 
the  territory  of  Spain  are  exposed  to  the  delusion  of 
false  prophets  and  the  poison  of  foreign  intrigue ;  so 
long  as  they  can  receive  ammunition  and  munitions 
of  war  from  pretended  traders  and  Spanish  command 
ants,  it  will  be  impossible  to  restrain  their  outrages. 
The  burning  of  their  towns,  and  destroying  of  their 
stock  and  provisions,  will  produce  but  temporary  em 
barrassments.  Resupplied  by  Spanish  authorities, 
they  may  concentrate  and  disperse  at  will,  and  keep 
up  a  lasting  and  predatory  warfare  against  the  United 
States,  as  expensive  to  our  government  as  harassing 
to  our  troops.  The  savages  therefore  must  be  made 
dependent  on  us,  and  cannot  be  kept  at  peace  without 
being  persuaded  of  the  certainty  of  chastisement  being 
inflicted  on  the  commission  of  the  first  offence.  I 
trust,  therefore,  that  the  measures  which  have  been 
pursued  will  meet  with  the  approbation  of  the  president 
of  the  United  States ;  they  have  been  adopted  in  pur 
suance  of  your  instructions,  and  under  a  firm  convic 
tion  that  they  alone  were  calculated  to  secure  peace 
and  security  to  the  Georgia  frontier." 

On  the  10th  of  May,  General  Jackson,  having  left 
strong  garrisons  in  Forts  St.  Mark's,  Scott,  and  Gads- 
den,  crossed  the  Apalachicola  river  about  forty  miles 
above  the  latter  fort,  and  on  the  22d  arrived  at  the 
Escambia,  a  short  distance  above  Pensacola,  with 
twelve  hundred  men.  He  notified  the  governor  of  his 


OCCUPATION    OF    FLORIDA.  459 

approach,  who,  in  answer,  ordered  him  to  retire  from 
Florida ;  and  if  he  did  not,  that  he  would  use  force  to 
repel  him.  The  governor  of  Pensacola  did  not  apply 
force  to  prevent  Nicholls  from  occupying  his  town  ;  he 
did  not  use  force  to  prevent  Indians  and  negroes,  hos 
tile  to  the  United  States,  from  entering  Pensacola. 
The  general,  hearing  that  some  hostile  Indians  had 
received  provisions  in  Pensacola,  and  had  escaped 
across  the  bay,  disregarded  the  remonstrance  of  the 
Spanish  governor,  and  determined  to  take  the  town. 
His  obligations  to  the  United  States  compelled  him  to 
do  so.  Spain  was  expressly  obliged,  by  treaty,  to  re 
strain  by  force  the  Indians  within  her  territory  from 
committing  hostilities  against  the  United  States.  The 

o  o 

Spanish  officers  commanding  in  Florida,  did  not  re 
strain  the  Indians  from  war,  but  aided  and  abetted 
them  in  it ;  it  then  became  the  duty  of  Spain  to  have 
displaced  and  superseded  those  officers,  and  to  have 
confided  to  others  the  command  of  Florida,  who  would 
have  preserved  the  neutral  character  of  that  territory. 
Spain  did  not  displace  or  supersede  them.  In  order, 
therefore,  to  prevent  the  perpetration  of  future  atroci 
ties  by  Indians,  negroes,  and  foreign  emissaries  and 
impostors,  it  became  necessary  to  occupy  St.  Marks, 
Pensacola,  and  the  Barrancas,  with  detachments  of 
troops  from  the  United  States,  who  would  defend  these 
fortresses,  not  from  the  lawful  authority  of  Spain,  but 
from  unlawful  seizure  and  occupation  by  enemies  of 
the  United  States,  consisting  of  Indians,  negroes,  and 
the  villains  from  other  countries,  who  were  stimulating 
these  savages  to  every  species  of  barbarous  warfare 
on  our  exposed  frontier. 


460  THE   SEMINOLE  WAR. 

On  the  24th,  he  entered  the  city  and  took  posses 
sion  of  it  without  resistance,  the  governor  and  all  the 
military  force  having  retired  to  the  Barrancas  on  h  s  ap 
proach.  The  next  day  the  Barrancas  was  invested, 
and,  after  a  bombardment,  which  continued  till  the 
evening  of  the  27th,  was  surrendered  to  the  United 
States.  The  Spanish  authorities  were  shipped  to 
Havana,  and  the  government  of  the  United  States  ex 
tended  over  the  captured  posts,  until  they  should  be 
restored  by  the  proper  authority  to  Spain. 

General  Jackson  then  scoured  the  whole  territory 
in  search  of  the  fugitives,  and  having  made  every  ne 
cessary  arrangement  for  the  security  of  the  settlers, 
discharged  his  Tennessee  volunteers,  left  General 
Gaines  in  command,  and  returned  to  the  Hermitage 
near  Nashville.  Three  months  afterwards,  St.  Augus 
tine,  the  only  remaining  Spanish  fortress  in  Florida, 
was  captured  by  General  Gaines,  in  obedience  to 
General  Jackson's  orders,  and  the  whole  province  was 
thus  brought  into  the  military  possession  of  the  United 
States.  Thus  the  Seminole  war  ended  in  the  conquest 
of  Florida. 

The  war  being  over  and  the  Indians  dispersed,  the 
president  of  the  United  States  convened  his  cabinet 
council,  and  proposed  for  their  consideration  the 
following  questions : — 

"  1.  Shall  Pensacola  be  retained,  risking  all  conse 
quences  at  home  and  abroad  ? 

"  2.  Shall  the  captured  Spanish  posts  be  restored, 
and  General  Jackson  put  on  his  trial  before  a  court- 
martial,  for  a  breach  of  orders  and  unofficerlike 
conduct  ? 


JACKSON    VISITS    WASHINGTON.  461 

"3.  Shall  the  posts  be  restored  and  the  acts  of 
General  Jackson  disavowed,  at  the  same  time  justifying 
the  motive  ?" 

The  council  decided  that  the  posts  should  be  re 
stored,  requiring  of  the  Spanish  government  that  they 
should  be  garrisoned  by  a  force  sufficient  to  enable 
them  to  fulfil  the  stipulations  of  the  treaty  of  1795, 
and  that  General  Jackson  should  not  be  tried  by  a 
court-martial.  In  pursuance  of  this  advice  Pensacola 
and  the  Barrancas  were  immediately  restored,  and  St. 
Mark's  ordered  to  be  given  up,  whenever  a  Spanish 
force,  apparently  competent  to  its  defence,  should 
appear  to  take  possession.* 

In  thus  advising  the  president,  his  council  merely 
followed  the  suggestion  of  General  Jackson,  who,  in 
a  letter  to  the  secretary  of  war,  dated  June  2d,  1818. 
said  :  "  The  Seminole  war  may  now  be  considered  as 
at  a  close  ;  tranquillity  is  again  restored  to  the  south 
ern  frontier  of  the  United  States ;  and  as  long  as  a 
cordon  of  military  posts  is  maintained  along  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico,  America  has  nothing  to  apprehend  from 
either  foreign  or  Indian  hostilities.  The  immutable 
principles  of  self-defence  justified  the  occupancy  of  the 
Floridas,  and  the  same  principles  will  warrant  the 
American  government  in  holding  it,  until  such  time  as 
Spain  can  guaranty,  by  an  adequate  military  force,  the 
maintaining  of  her  authority  within  the  colony." 

Shortly  after  the  return  of  General  Jackson  to 
Nashville,  he  resigned  his  commission  in  the  army. 
He  visited  Washington  in  January,  1819,  while  Con- 

*  Perkins. 
35* 


462  THE    SEMINOLE    WAR. 

gress  was  in  session,  and  while  his  transactions  in 
Florida  were  being  examined  by  that  body. 

Soon  after  the  assembling  of  Congress,  in  De 
cember,  1818,  the  president  had  communicated  to  them 
all  the  papers  relating  to  the  Seminole  war.  They 
were  referred  to  committees  in  each  house.  The 
committee  in  the  Senate  consisted  of  five  members, 
three  of  whom  made  a  report,  towards  the  close  of  the 
session,  censuring  the  conduct  of  the  general,  while 
the  other  two  presented  a  minority  report,  justifying 
him  in  all  that  he  had  done.  The  lateness  of  the  pe 
riod  at  which  the  report  was  made,  prevented  the 
action  of  the  Senate  upon  it.  In  the  House  of  Repre 
sentatives  the  papers  were  submitted  to  the  military 
committee,  consisting  of  seven  members.  Of  this 
committee,  four  agreed  to  report  a  resolution  of  cen 
sure  to  the  House,  while  the  other  three  presented  a 
statement  approving  the  general's  conduct,  and  con 
cluding  with  a  declaration  that  he  deserved  the  thanks 
of  his  country.  After  a  long  and  exciting  debate  on 
the  resolutions  offered  by  the  committee,  the  resolu 
tions  of  censure  were  rejected,  the  report  of  the  com 
mittee  disagreed  too,  and  the  general's  conduct  ap 
proved  by  a  vote  of  one  hundred  and  seven  to  sixty- 
three. 

His  course  was  also  sustained  by  the  president, 
and  by  a  majority  of  his  council.  That  part  of  it  re 
lating  to  the  execution  of  Arbuthnot  and  Ambrister, 
was  acknowledged  to  be  right  by  the  British  Parlia 
ment.  The  Spanish  government  complained  ;  but  the 
answer  of  Mr.  Adams,  the  secretary  of  state,  fully 
convinced  that  power  of  the  justice  of  the  course  pur  • 


END    OF    THE    SEMINOLE    WAR.  463 

sued  by  Jackson.  He  sustained  his  opinion  on  the 
ground  that,  by  the  treaty  of  1795,  Spain  had  ex 
pressly  stipulated  to  restrain  by  force,  if  necessary, 
the  Indians  within  the  limits  of  her  territories  from 
committing  acts  of  hostility  against  the  citizens  of  the 
United  States.  He  then  produced  a  series  of  undis 
puted  facts,  which  clearly  proved  that  the  Spanish  au 
thorities  in  Florida,  so  far  from  regarding  this  stipu 
lation,  had  instigated  and  encouraged  the  Indians  and 
negroes  within  their  limits  to  the  most  barbarous  acts 
of  murder  and  rapine ;  had  furnished  them  with  the 
means  of  annoyance,  and  protected  foreign  miscreants 
in  aiding  the  savages  in  their  work  of  destruction. 
This,  Mr.  Adams  claimed,  was  a  full  justification  to 
the  Spanish  government  for  every  measure  which  the 
United  States  had  adopted  in  relation  to  the  Floridas, 
and  would  warrant  any  further  reprisals  which  the  safety 
of  the  citizens  of  the  latter  country  might  require; 
and  the  secretary  concluded  with  demanding  satis 
faction  for  the  heavy  expenses  incurred  in  prosecuting 
the  Seminole  war,  and  the  exemplary  punishment  of 
the  Spanish  officers  under  whose  authority  these  events 
had  taken  place.  Arbuthnot  and  Ambrister  being 
foreign  emissaries,  and  the  principal  instigators  of  the 
massacres  committed  by  the  savages,  their  being  put 
to  death  by  an  American  officer,  Mr.  Adams  contended, 
furnished  no  ground  of  complaint  on  the  part  of  Spain* 
though  done  within  her  jurisdiction.* 

When  the  congressional  investigation  had,  as  we 
have  seen,  terminated  favourably  to  General  Jackson, 

*  Perkins. 


464 


THE    SEMINOLE    WAR. 


he  visited  the  cities  of  Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  and 
New  York,  before  his  return  to  Tennessee.  Through 
out  the  whole  of  this  journey  he  was  everywhere  re 
ceived  by  the  people  with  enthusiastic  acclamations, 
and  many  other  marks  of  popular  feeling,  and  a 
nation's  gratitude,  were  conferred  upon  him. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 
JACKSON^AT    THE    HERMITAGE. 

HE  nation  being  at  peace  with  all 
the  world ;  the  Indian  tribes  having 
been  reduced  to  submission  ;  peace 
and  tranquillity  reigning  throughout 
the  land,  General  Jackson  gladly 
retired  again  to  the  Hermitage,  to 
engage  in  his  favourite  rural  occu 
pations,  and  enjoy  the  society  of  his  wife  and  beloved 
59 


466  JACKSON    AT    TliE   HERMITAGE. 

relatives.  For  several  years  he  there  lived  a  life  of 
uninterrupted  quiet  and  domestic  happiness.  He  loved 
his  wife  with  a  romantic  attachment,  of  which  none 
but  a  few  persons  of  his  enthusiastic  character  are 
susceptible.  Such  were  the  fascinating  powers  of  his 
conversation,  such  the  cheerfulness  of  his  fireside,  and 
the  warmth  of  his  heart,  that,  though  he  was  but  a 
citizen,  his  house  was  the  most  public  one  in  Ten 
nessee. 

But  his  quiet  and  repose  were  poon  destined  to  be 
disturbed.  Though  he  desired  not  the  emoluments  of 
office,  yet,  in  a  country  like  the  United  States,  it  was 
impossible  for  one  who  had  evinced  the  sterling 
qualities  which  adorned  Jackson,  to  remain  long  in 
retirement.* 

In  March,  1821,  Florida  having  been  ceded  by 
Spain  to  the  United  States,  he  was  appointed  its 
governor  by  President  Monroe,  and  he  proceeded  to 
the  discharge  of  the  important  and  delicate  duties, 
which  consequently  devolved  upon  him.  The  accept 
ance  of  this  appointment  placed  him  in  a  situation  of 
more  than  ordinary  civil  responsibility.  Clothed  with 
undefined  powers,  he  was  entrusted  with  the  entire 
executive,  military,  and  judicial  administration  of  that 
region.  In  this  new  station,  however,  as  in  every 
other,  he  manifested  no  unwillingness  to  "  assume  the 
responsibility."  The  very  difficulty  and  danger  of  the 
situation  had  its  influence  in  impelling  him  to  accept 
it.  In  a  letter  written  during  his  residence  in  Florida, 
he  speaks  in  this  manner  of  the  powers  entrusted  to 

*  Cartwright  and  Irvin's  Eulogies. 


APPOINTED    GOVERNOR    OF  FLORIDA.      467 

him.  "  I  am  clothed  with  powers  which  no  one  under 
a  republic  ought  to  possess,  and  which  I  trust  will 
never  again  be  given  to  any  man.  Nothing  will  give 
me  more  happiness  than  to  learn  that  Congress,  in  its 
wisdom,  shall  have  distributed  them  properly,  and  in 
such  a  manner  as  is  consonant  to  our  earliest  and 
deepest  impressions.  Yet,  as  I  hold  these  powers  by 
the  authority  of  an  act  of  Congress,  it  becomes  rny 
duty  to  discharge  the  sacred  trust  imposed  upon  me 
according  to  the  best  of  my  abilities,  even  though  the 
proper  exercise  of  the  powers  given  might  involve  me 
in  heavy  personal  responsibilities.  It  has  been  my 
misfortune  to  be  thus  circumstanced  in  my  various  re 
lations  as  a  public  servant.  Yet  I  never  have,  nor 
ever  will  I  shrink  from  the  discharge  of  my  public 
duties  from  any  apprehension  of  personal  responsi 
bility." 

Nor  was  this  responsibility  imaginary.  By  the 
terms  of  the  treaty  of  cession,  all  the  archives  and 
public  papers  were  to  be  given  up  with  the  province. 
Four  documents  relating  to  the  rights  of  property  in 
West  Florida  were  withheld  by  Governor  Cavalla, 
claiming  that  they  did  not  come  within  the  meaning 
or  intention  of  the  treaty.  After  a  specific  demand, 
Governor  Jackson  sent  an  armed  force  to  seize  the 
papers,  and  bring  Don  Cavalla  before  him,  to  answer 
for  a  contempt  of  his  authority.  On  his  persisting  in 
a  refusal  either  to  give  up  the  papers  or  appear  before 
the  governor,  Cavalla  was  taken  out  of  bed,  carried 
to  Jackson's  quarters,  and  by  him  committed  to  prison. 
The  papers  having  been  soon  after  found,  Cavalla 
was  immediately  set  at  liberty. 


468      JACKSON  AT  THE  HERMITAGE. 

A  contest  of  a  similar  character  took  place  in  East 
Florida.  Mr.  Worthington  had  been  commissioned 
by  Governor  Jackson  to  act  as  governor  of  that  part 
of  the  territory  during  his  absence  in  the  western  part. 
On  the  2d  of  October,  Mr.  Worthington  finding  that 
some  papers  belonging  to  that  province  were  about  to 
be  sent  to  Havana,  under  the  direction  of  his  superior, 
caused  them  to  be  seized  and  secured.  The  dilatory 
proceedings  and  troublesome  character  of  the  Spa 
niards  who  had  anything  to  do  with  the  transfer  of 
the  government,  occasioned  much  difficulty  to  the 
American  authorities. 

General  Jackson  published  the  facts  relating  to  the 
seizure  of  the  papers  and  the  detention  of  Cavalla. 
Seven  of  Don  Cavalla's  officers,  who  had  remained  in 
Florida  after  its  cession  as  private  citizens,  published 
a  statement  contradicting  some  of  the  facts  which 
Jackson  had  made  public,  and  containing,  as  he  appre 
hended,  some  disrespectful  expressions  and  sentiments 
calculated  to  excite  in  the  Floridians,  discontent  with 
his  government.  This  publication  was  answered  by 
a  proclamation  from  the  governor,  ordering  them  to 
quit  the  territory  in  five  days. 

For  the  purpose  of  administering  justice,  the  terri 
tory  was  divided  into  two  counties,  without  regard  to 
the  original  division  of  East  and  West  Florida ;  the 
country  west  of  the  Suwanee  River  constituted  one 
county,  by  the  name  of  Escambia ;  and  the  territory 
east  of  that  river  another,  denominated  St.  John's.* 

Jackson's  commission  expiring  at  the  end  of  the 

*  Perkins. 


NOMINATED    FOR    THE    PRESIDENCY.        469 

session  of  the  Senate  in  1822,  and  he  having  accom 
plished  the  organization  of  the  territorial  government 
of  Florida  under  the  act  of  congress,  declined  a  re-ap 
pointment,  and  returned  to  Tennessee. 

No  sooner  had  he  returned  to  Tennessee,  than  he 
was  nominated  by  the  legislature  of  that  state  as  a 
candidate  for  the  office  of  president  of  the  United 
States.  They  urged  in  his  favour  the  important  mili 
tary  services  which  he  had  performed,  and  the  honour 
which  thereby  redounded  to  the  country ;  his  know 
ledge  and  known  ability  to  execute  the  laws,  and  his 
unshrinking  firmness  in  the  execution  of  his  duty. 
This  nomination  of  the  legislature  of  Tennessee  was 
repeated  by  immense  assemblages  of  citizens  in  several 
other  states ;  and  from  his  great  popularity  in  the 
south  and  west,  as  well  as  with  the  whole  army  of  the 
Tnited  States,  his  election  in  1824  was  confidently 
expected. 

In  1823,  President  Monroe  offered  him  the  appoint 
ment  of  minister  to  Mexico,  which  he  declined,  not 
only  because  he  desired  no  office  of  emolument  or 
honour,  but  because  he  did  not  wish  to  countenance, 
by  his  presence  at  the  court  of  the  sovereign  of  Mexi 
co,  the  substitution  of  a  monarchy  in  the  place  of  a 
republic,  nor  the  means  by  which  it  had  been  effected. 
Other  reasons  also  concurred  to  induce  him  to  decline 
the  appointment.  Incessant  toil  in  the  various  duties 
of  his  command — exposure  to  the  hardships  of  military 
service  in  the  south,  and  especially  in  the  swamps  and 
morasses  of  Florida — had  undermined  his  constitution, 
which  had  never,  at  any  time,  been  very  strong ;  and 
retirement  seemed  to  him  as  needful  to  the  preserva- 
36 


470      JACKSON  AT  THE  HERMITAGE. 

tion  of  his  own  life,  as  to  the  happiness  of  those  who 
had  so  long  been  denied  the  pleasure  of  his  society. 

He  did  not  deem  it  inconsistent  with  this  feeling  to 
accept  the  office  of  senator  in  Congress,  which  was 
again,  in  the  autumn  of  1823,  conferred  on  him  by  the 
legislature  of  Tennessee;  for  this  honourable  and  com 
paratively  easy  service  would  still  leave  him,  for  the 
greater  portion  of  the  year,  an  inmate  of  the  Hermi 
tage.*  In  December,  1823,  he  took  his  seat  in  the 
highest  branch  of  the  legislative  department  of  the  go 
vernment.  He  voted  for  the  tariff  of  1824,  which  was 
intended  as  a  protection  for  American  manufacturers. 
It  raised  the  duties  on  many  articles  of  imports  from 
foreign  countries  coming  in  competition  with  articles 
manufactured  in  the  United  States.  It  was  the  result 
of  the  combined  efforts  of  the  advocates  of  protection 
to  domestic  industry  throughout  the  Union,  ad(Vd  to 
the  recommendation  of  the  president,  and  the  support 
of  members  of  Congress,  principally  from  the  northern, 
middle,  and  western  states.  The  bill  was  debated  for 
weeks  in  both  houses,  and  called  forth  the  first  talent 
in  Congress.  The  most  strenuous  opposition  was  made 
by  the  members  from  the  southern  states.  The  ma 
jority  in  its  favour  in  the  Senate  was  but  four,  of 
whom  General  Jackson  was  one.t 

Jackson's  popularity  with  the  people  of  the  United 
States  was  shown  at  the  presidential  election  in  the 
autumn  of  1824,  when  he  received  a  greater  number 
of  electoral  votes  than  either  of  his  competitors. 
There  were  four  candidates  for  the  presidency,  among 

*  Butler's  Eulogy.  f  Statesman's  Manual. 


ELECTION    OF    MR.  ADAMS.  471 

whom  the  electoral  votes  were  divided  as  follows : — 
For  Jackson,  ninety-nine  ;  for  Adams,  eighty-four;  for 
Crawford,  forty-one ;  and  for  Clay,  thirty-seven.  Nei 
ther  of  the  candidates  having  a  majority  of  the  whole 
number  of  electors,  the  election  devolved  upon  the 
House  of  Representatives,  where,  according  to  the 
provision  of  the  constitution,  the  decision  is  made  by 
states,  the  representation  from  each  state  having  one 
vote,  and  a  majority  of  all  the  states  being  necessary 
to  a  choice. 

The  House,  being  restricted  in  its  choice  to  the 
three  highest  candidates,  Clay  was  thrown  out;  but 
though  not  ostensibly  a  candidate  before  the  repre 
sentatives,  yet  he  held  the  destinies  of  the  nation  in 
his  hands.  The  states  by  which  he  had  been  sup 
ported,  could  decide  the  election  as  they  chose.  By 
uniting  with  the  South,  they  would  unquestionably 
bring  in  General  Jackson ;  and  by  joining  the  East, 
they  would  as  certainly  effect  the  election  of  Adams. 

The  course  of  Mr.  Clay  in  this  contest  has  been 
severely  animadverted  upon  by  his  opponents.  It 
seems  that  he  considered  General  Jackson,  though  a 
distinguished  military  officer,  as  destitute  of  the  re 
quisite  talents  and  qualifications  for  the  presidency ; 
that  it  was  hazardous  to  the  liberties  of  the  country 
to  elevate  a  person  to  the  chief  magistracy,  the  duties 
of  which  are  mostly  of  a  civil  nature,  merely  because 
he  had  been  a  successful  general.  That  on  the  other 
hand,  he  considered  Mr.  Adams  as  possessing,  in  a 
high  degree,  the  requisite  qualifications ;  that  his  ta 
lents  were  of  the  first  order,  and  his  life  had  been 
spent  in  the  proper  school  for  the  office.  With  these 


472  JACKSON    AT    THE    HERMITAGE. 


Henry  Clay. 


views,  or  perhaps  others,  Mr.  Clay  determined  to  sup 
port  Mr.  Adams.  That  this  determination  was  the 
result  of  collusion  between  them,  is  strongly  denied  ; 
but  if  it  was  not,  Mr.  Clay  undoubtedly  committed  a 
capital  error  in  accepting  the  appointment  of  secretary 
of  state,  which  was  conferred  on  him,  immediately  on 
the  accession  of  Adams  to  the  presidency. 

Mr.  Adams  was  elected  on  the  first  ballot  by  the 
House  of  Representatives ;  he  receiving  the  votes  of 
thirteen  states,  Jackson  of  seven,  and  Crawford  of  four.* 

General  Jackson  submitted,  as  he  should  have 
done,  to  the  decision  of  the  constitutional  authorities 

*  Perkins. 


JACKSON    RENOMINATED.  473 

of  his  country ;  and  his  conduct  was  marked,  on  that 
occasion,  with  that  propriety  and  dignity  so  charac 
teristic  of  him.  He  was  present,  with  the  other  mem 
bers  of  the  Senate,  in  the  hall  of  the  representatives, 
on  the  4th  of  March,  1825,  when  the  president  elect 
delivered  his  inaugural  address  and  took  the  oath  of 
office.  After  delivering  his  address,  and  binding  him 
self  by  the  oath  of  office  faithfully  to  execute  his 
duties,  and  to  defend  the  constitution,  Mr.  Adams 
descended  from  the  platform  to  receive  the  congrat 
ulations  of  his  friends.  It  was  then  that  General 
Jackson,  stepping  out,  as  no  other  man  could  have 
done,  was  the  first  to  shake  hands  with  and  con 
gratulate  the  newly-made  president,  the  person  who 
had  just  been  inaugurated  in  the  office  which  the  free 
voice  of  the  people  of  the  land  would  have  bestowed 
upon  Jackson. 

The  pride  of  Tennessee  was  aroused  at  the  injus 
tice,  or  the  seeming  injustice,  by  which  her  favourite 
son  was  excluded  from  the  presidency.  From  the 
formation  of  her  constitution,  he  had  been  one  of  her 
most  cherished  jewels.  She  had  trusted  him  always, 
and  he  had  never  betrayed  her.  She  had  named  him 
for  the  chief  magistracy — he  had  a  plurality  of  votes 
— and  yet  one  who  had  received  many  less  was  pre 
ferred  by  those  on  whom  devolved  the  constitutional 
alternative,  in  the  failure  of  a  choice  by  the  people. 
With  a  spirit  worthy  of  a  sovereign  state,  she  again 
uttered  her  unabated  confidence  in  him,  and  manifested 
her  displeasure  at  the  treatment  he  had  received,  by  re- 
nominating  him  for  the  first  office  in  the  gift  of  the  peo- 

36* 
60 


474  JACKSON    AT    THE    HERMITAGE. 

pie  by  general  acclamation.*  His  character  cannot  be 
better  exhibited  than  by  briefly  presenting  the  grounds 
upon  which  his  claims  were  now  pressed  upon  the 
American  people,  to  the  high  office  of  chief  magistrate. 
He  was  supported  upon  the  ground,  that  having  been 
distinguished,  if  not  for  great  talents,  yet  for  useful 
services  in  all  the  civil  offices,  under  the  governments 
both  of  Tennessee  and  the  United  States,  of  counsellor, 
legislator,  senator,  and  judge — some  of  which  he  had 
filled  more  than  once,  and  the  duties  of  which  he  had 
discharged  with  ability  and  satisfaction  to  those  he 
represented — he  was  qualified  for  any  office  under  the 
government.  That  it  was  not  probable  that  he  could 
have  been  selected  to  fill  high  offices,  so  various  and 
responsible,  without  possessing  distinguished  talents 
for  civil  duties ;  or  that  he  could  have  discharged  them 
satisfactorily,  without  considerable  acquirement ;  that 
this  should  satisfy  his  country  that  his  mind  was  not 
exclusively  of  a  military  character,  and  that  his  election 
to  the  presidency  would  not  therefore  rest  exclusively 
on  his  great  military  services.  That,  like  Washington, 
he  had  been  a  citizen-soldier,  and,  like  Washington, 
was  qualified  for  high  civil  command.  That  it  was 
the  command  of  armies,  and  brilliant  military  services 
rendered  by  both,  that  first  endeared  these  great  men 
to  their  country,  and  operated  doubtless,  with  both,  in 
recommending  them  to  the  chair  of  state.  That  if 
neither  had  been  a  warrior,  it  is  probable  neither 
would  have  been  a  distinguished  statesman.  That 
General  Jackson  was  eminently  qualified  by  his  great 

*  Harris's  Eulogy. 


JACKSON    RENOMIN  ATED.  475 

capacity  for  originating  and  directing  measures,  for 
governing  men,  for  bringing  order  out  of  confusion, 
and,  by  that  prudent  judgment  and  foresight,  securing 
the  good  which  many  too  often  attribute  to  fortune. 
That  he  was  fitted  for  the  chief  magistracy  of  such  a 
country  and  people,  by  all  the  qualities  of  his  great 
mind  and  character,  and  by  all  the  habits  of  his  public 
and  private  life.     That  it  would  be  vain  to  say  that  a 
man  nurtured  in  the  bosom  of  freemen,  every  one  of 
whom  was   by  birthright   a   politician — successively 
filling,  by  the  choice  of  such  a  people,  high  and  im 
portant  offices  in  the  legislative,  executive,  and  judicial 
departments  of  government — was,  notwithstanding  all 
his  experience,  and  such  proofs  of  public  esteem  and 
confidence,  incompetent  to  the  administration  of  a 
popular  government.     That,  called,  as  he  had  been, 
from  the  pursuits  of  civil  life  to  military  command,  he 
had   become  at  once,  and  without  regular  military 
tuition,  a  great  captain.     That,  having  to  trust  to  his 
own  resources,  and  to  depend  for  success  on  the  active 
and  commanding  energies  of  his  own  mighty  mind,  he 
did  not  then  disappoint  his  country.     That  his  com 
binations  and  conduct  established  a  skill,  a  sagacity 
and  judgment,  that  would  have  done  honour  to  the 
most  renowned  commander  that  had  ever  devoted  a 
whole  lifetime  to  the  profession  of  arms.     And  that 
if  such  had  been  the  results  of  General  Jackson's  capa 
city  and  talents,  in  a  profession  which  he  had  but  little 
followed,  the  results  would  not  be  less  beneficial  or 
glorious,  when  the  same  capacity,  and  talents,  and  in 
tegrity  should  be  devoted  to  an  office  more  congenial 
to  his  habits.     That  it  was  true,  he  was  not  a  man  of 


476  JACKSON   AT    THE   HERMITAGE. 

great  learning  and  genius ;  but,  in  lieu  of  these  he  had 
a  common  sense,  a  discretion  and  prudence,  which 
nothing  could  supply,  and  without  which  knowledge 
was  useless,  and  genius  contemptible.  That  he  was 
a  man  who  never  mistook  what  to  do  or  what  he  was 
doing.  That  in  regard  to  the  fundamental  questions 
of  constitutional  doctrines  and  national  policy,  he  had 
been  politically  nurtured  in  the  school  of  our  republican 
fathers,  and  that  to  these  tenets  of  his  youth  he  still 
adhered.  And  that,  lastly,  in  the  language  of  Thomas 
Jefferson,  he  was  "  honest,  sincere,  firm,  and  strong- 
minded — of  sound  public  principles ;  and  that,  if  he 
should  be  brought  into  the  presidency,  to  correct  the 
alarming  tendency  towards  favourite,  and  otherwise 
irremediable  evils,  which  were  beginning  to  develope 
themselves  in  the  administration  of  the  federal  govern 
ment,  he  (Jackson)  would  be  found  entirely  faithful  to 
the  object."  These  were  the  grounds  on  which  he  was 
presented  to  the  people  by  the  legislature  of  his  own 
state  and  his  friends  throughout  the  union. * 

The  resolution  which  passed  both  houses  of  the 
legislature  of  Tennessee,  in  October,  1825,  proffering 
General  Jackson  to  their  fellow-citizens  for  the  chief 
magistracy,  and  expatiating  at  large  on  his  many  dis 
tinguished  qualifications  for  the  office,  was  responded 
to  by  him,  not  doubting  the  right  of  a  state  legislature 
to  nominate  a  president,  by  a  resignation  of  his  seat 
in  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  and  an  address  to 
the  legislature,  in  which  he  also  gave  his  views  on 
public  affairs.  For  three  years,  during  the  exciting 

*  Stevenson's  Eulogy. 


JACKSON    ELECTED   PRESIDENT.  477 

canvass,  which  finally  resulted  in  his  election,  he  re 
mained  in  private  life  at  the  Hermitage.  In  January, 
1828,  he  spent  a  few  days  in  New  Orleans,  partici 
pating,  by  invitation,  in  the  celebration  of  the  thirteenth 
anniversary  of  his  great  victory. 

The  canvass  for  the  presidential  election  in  1828 
was  conducted  with  great  spirit  and  enthusiasm. 
Many  distinguished  members  of  the  party  who  had 
supported  the  administrations  of  Washington  and 
John  Adams,  declared  for  Jackson  ;  some  of  them  as 
signing  as  a  reason  for  this  step,  the  determination  to 
break  up  what  was  beginning  to  appear  as  an  estab 
lished  usage,  viz :  the  election  to  the  presidency  of  one 
who  had  previously  served  as  secretary  of  state  ;  any 
thing  like  a  regular  line  of  succession  to  this  high 
office  appearing  to  them  to  be  totally  repugnant  to  the 
spirit  of  our  republican  institutions.  The  people  en 
tered  into  the  cause  of  Jackson  with  that  hearty  good 
will  which  was  the  result  of  high  sense  of  his  impor 
tant  services  to  the  republic,  and  a  desire  to  redress 
the  wrong  which  they  considered  to  have  been  done 
towards  him  in  the  previous  election.  The  people  of 
the  United  States  have  always  evinced  this  lively  sense 
of  gratitude  towards  public  men  who  have  rendered 
great  and  indisputable  services  to  the  country,  and  a 
keen  resentment  for  any  injury  which  they  may  have 
suffered.  Under  these  circumstances,  General  Jack 
son  could  hardly  fail  of  his  election  ;  and,  accordingly, 
the  election  in  October,  1828,  resulted  in  the  eleva 
tion  of  Jackson  to  the  presidency,  by  an  electoral 
vote  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-eight.  Mr.  Adams 
received  but  eighty-three.  The  latter  had  the  votes 


478 


JACKSON    AT    THE    HERMITAGE. 


of  New  Jersey  and  Delaware,  sixteen  from  New  York, 
five  from  Maryland,  and  all  the  New  England  votes, 
except  one  from  Maine.  All  the  other  votes  were  for 
General  Jackson. 

Before  departing  for  Washington,  in  1829,  to  take 
the  reins  of  government,  he  met  with  a  severe  affliction 
in  the  death  of  Mrs.  Jackson.  This  loss  bore  heavily 
upon  him  for  some  time,  and  he  came  into  power  with 
gloomy  feelings.  He  reached  the  national  capital  ear 
ly  in  February,  in  a  plain  carriage.* 

The  news  of  his  arrival  at  the  seat  of  government, 
and  his  entrance  on  the  duties  of  his  office,  was  re 
ceived  with  enthusiasm  throughout  the  United  States. 

*  Statesman's  Manual. 


Huzzah  for  Jackson  ! 


General  Jackson  in  1829. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 
FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM. 

E  now  enter  upon  General 
Jackson's  career  as  a  states 
man.  This  part  of  his  life 
it  is  our  purpose  to  treat, 
not  in  the  spirit  of  party,  but 
of  history — to  regard  his 
acts,  as  far  as  it  may  be 
possible  to  do  so,  in  the 
same  point  of  view  in  which 
they  will  be  regarded  by 
posterity.  It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  the  chief  ma 
gistrate  of  a  great  nation  shall  escape  censure  for 
those  important  political  measures  which  he  may  con 
sider  it  his  duty  to  adopt.  Washington  was  charged 
with  being  bought  with  British  gold,  because  he  signed 
Jay's  treaty ;  Adams  was  strongly  censured  for  chas- 
61  37 


482  FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL  TERM. 

tising  the  insolence  of  the  French  Directory ;  Jeffer 
son  for  purchasing  Louisiana;  Madison  for  recom 
mending  the  declaration  of  war  with  England;  and 
Monroe  for  sanctioning  the  conquest  and  acquisition 
of  Florida ;  and  yet  these  measures  were  all  justified, 
not  only  by  the  general  voice  of  the  American  people* 
but  by  their  obvious  public  utility.     A.n  impartial  sur 
vey  of  Jackson's  most  important  measures,  precisely 
the  measures  which  were  most  loudly  censured,  will 
conduct   us   to   the   same   result.     They   have   been 
equally  justified  by  the  voice  of  the  people,  and  by 
their  effects  on  the  prosperity  of  the  nation. 
^  General  Jackson  arrived  at  Washington  in  Feb 
ruary,  and  on  the  4th  of  March,  1829,  entered  on  the 
duties  of  the  office  of  President  of  the  United  States. 
About  twelve  o'clock  of  that  day  he  was  waited  upon 
by  a  few  of  the  surviving  officers  and  soldiers  of  the 
revolutionary  war,  who  came  to  escort  him  from  his 
lodgings  at  Gadsby's  hotel  to  the   capitol.     One   of 
them,  speaking  for  all,  delivered  an  address,  congratu 
lating  him  upon  his  election,  and  expressing  sentiments 
of  deep  attachment]    He  replied  to  them  by  saying : — • 
"Respected  friends:  your  affectionate   address  awa 
kens    sentiments  and  recollections  which  I  feel  with 
sincerity  and   cherish  with  pride.     To   have  around 
my  person,  at  the  moment  of  undertaking  the  most 
solemn  of  all  duties  to  my  country,  the  companions 
of  the   immortal  Washington,  will  afford   me  satis 
faction   and   grateful   encouragement.     That   by  my 
best  exertions  I  shall  be  able  to  exhibit  more  than  an 
imitation  of  his  labours,  a  sense  of  my  own  imperfec 
tions,  and  the  reverence  I  entertain  for   his  virtues, 


INAUGURATION.  483 

forbid  me  to  hope.  To  you,  respected  friends,  the 
survivors  of  that  heroic  band,  who  followed  him  so 
long  and  so  valiantly  in  the  path  of  glory,  I  offer  my 
sincere  thanks,  and  to  Heaven  my  prayers,  that  your 
remaining  years  may  be  as  happy  as  your  toils  and 
your  lives  have  been  illustrious." 
-^Escorted  by  this  band  of  heroes  he  arrived  at  the 
capitol,  where,  in  presence  of  the  Senate,  the  members 
of  the  House  of  Representatives,  the  heads  of  depart 
ments,  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  foreign 
ministers,  and  an  immense  concourse  of  citizens,  he 
delivered  his  inaugural  address ;  and  having  concluded 
it,  the  oath  faithfully  to  execute  the  duties  of  the 
presidency,  and  to  the  best  of  his  ability  to  preserve, 
protect,  and  defend  the  constitution,  was  administered 
to  him  by  Chief- Justice  Marshall.  His  induction  into 
office  by  taking  this  oath  was  immediately  proclaimed 
by  the  firing  of  salutes  by  artillery  stationed  near  the 
capitol,  which  were  echoed  and  re-echoed  from  the 
forts  and  plains  around.  The  paragraph  which  ex 
cited  most  interest  in  his  inaugural  address  was  in  the 
following  terms. 

"The  recent  demonstration  of  public  sentiment 
inscribes  on  the  list  of  executive  duties,  in  characters 
too  legible  to  be  overlooked,  the  task  of  reform;  which 
will  require  particularly  the  correction  of  those  abuses 
that  have  brought  the  patronage  of  the  federal  go 
vernment  into  conflict  with  the  freedom  of  elections, 
and  the  counteraction  of  those  causes  which  have 
disturbed  the  rightful  course  of  appointment,  and  have 
placed,  or  continued  power  in  unfaithful  or  incompe 
tent  hands.  In  the  performance  of  a  task  thus 


484  FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM. 

generally  delineated,  I  shall  endeavour  to  select  men 
whose  diligence  and  talents  will  insure,  in  their  respec 
tive  stations,  able  and  faithful  co-operation — depending 
for  the  advancement  of  the  public  service,  more  on 
the  integrity  and  zeal  of  the  public  officers,  than  on 
their  numbers."  The  meaning  of  this  part  of  his  ad 
dress  was  only  made  known  when  he  began  his 
general  system  of  removals  and  appointments. 

After  the  delivery  of  his  address,  he  was  conducted 
in  procession  to  the  presidential  mansion,  where  he 
received  the  salutations  of  a  vast  number  of  friends, 
who  had  gathered  to  congratulate  him  upon  his  induc 
tion  to  the  highest  office  in  the  gift  of  the  people. 

Thus  propitious  and  pleasant,  like  the  day  of  his 
inauguration,  everything  seemed  to  work  in  harmony 
at  the  touch  of  the  new  president.  He  entered  upon 
the  duties  of  the  office  with  great  experience  and 
ample  preparation  in  civil  as  well  as  military  life.  In 
his  early  youth,  for  many  years,  he  was  devoted  to 
the  study  and  practice  of  a  profession  that  brought 
the  mind  in  daily  and  familiar  intercourse  with  the 
laws  and  government  of  his  country.  A  pioneer 
among  the  first  settlers  of  a  new  territory,  he  saw  the 
birth  and  developement  of  the  social  and  civil  institu 
tions  of  a  free  people.  At  thirty  years  of  age  he  wras 
the  leading  statesman  of  a  young  republic.  His  crea 
tive  mind  was  called  on  to  aid  in  framing  a  constitu- 

c? 

tion  of  government,  suited  to  a  people  of  largest 
liberty — and  then  to  administer  its  laws  in  the  func 
tions  of  an  office  of  the  highest  trust  and  responsibility. 
By  his  powers  of  thought  and  independence  of  char 
acter,  he  exalted  the  judicial  station  in  the  minds  of  a 


INAUGURATION.  485 

rude  people.  He  whose  retirement  from  the  .supreme 
bench  was  opposed  by  the  best  men  of  his  state,  must 
have  possessed  rare  qualities  as  a  judge.* 

Long  in  retirement,  devoted  to  rural  occupations, 
disconnected  with  the  strife  of  party  politics,  and  in 
familiar  intercourse  with  the  sons  of  those  pioneers, 
who  had  conquered  a  rude  wilderness  to  the  hand  of 
cultivation,  he  learned  to  value  the  strong  sense  of 
freedom,  the  bold  intellect  and  hardy  virtues  of  an 
agricultural  people,  and  to  perceive  that  the  perpetuity 
of  our  free  institutions  depends  on  the  continuance  of 
their  virtue  and  intelligence.  With  such  associations, 
and  such  habits  of  mind,  he  could  not  fail  to  interpret 
the  constitution  in  the  sense  of  the  great  apostle  of 
liberty,  as  an  instrument  of  limited  powers,  reserving 
to  the  states  and  to  the  people  many  of  the  most  im 
portant  attributes  of  sovereignty.  Dwelling  among 
an  enlightened  people,  with  few  wants,  and  requiring 
but  few  restraints — having  a  constitution  and  laws  of 
their  own  adequate  to  their  purpose  and  faithfully  ad 
ministered,  he  could  not  perceive  the  necessity  or  the 
justice  of  conferring  all  powers  on  a  central  govern 
ment,  remote  from  observation,  in  the  hands  of  men 
opposed  to  him  in  interest,  alien  in  feeling,  and  over 
whom  he  and  his  people  could  exert  but  a  limited 
control.  Such  thoughts  naturally  suggested  them 
selves  to  the  unbiassed  mind  of  Andrew  Jackson  ;  and 
he  who  despised  shams,  and  sought  and  loved  the 
truth  for  her  own  sake,  could  not  fail  to  embrace  therm 
With  large  experience,  and  ample  preparation,  in 


*  Garland's  Eulogy. 
37* 


486  FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM. 

mature  old  age  and  full  of  honours,  Andrew  Jackson 
ascended  the  steps  of  the  capitol  as  president  of  the 
United  States,  forty  years  after  the  foundation  of  the 
republic,  and  took  the  oath  to  support  the  constitution. 
This  was  no  unmeaning  ceremony  with  him.  He 
solemnly  purposed  to  support  the  constitution  as  it 
came  from  the  hands  of  Washington  and  his  com 
peers,  and  none  other.  Whatever  a  plain,  honest, 
common-sense  interpretation  of  its  words  could  be 
made  to  mean,  that  was  the  constitution  he  intended  to 
abide  by  and  enforce.  Those  powers  of  intellect  and 
that  independence  of  mind  so  conspicuous  in  his 
earlier  days,  had  never  forsaken  him.  He  was  not 

V  ' 

the  man  to  yield  to  authority  against  his  own  judg 
ment,  or  surrender  the  solemn  convictions  of  his  mind 
to  the  plea  of  necessity.* 

The  interpolation  of  forty  years'  legislation, 
though  sanctioned  by  judicial  authority  and  great 
names,  had  no  weight  with  him  against  the  plain 
reading  of  the  constitution.  After  having  encountered 
so  many  difficulties,  and  fronted  so  many  dangers, 
through  a  long  and  eventful  life,  he  was  not  now  to  be 
deterred  by  any  consideration  from  the  discharge  of 
his  duty.  Having  filled  the  measure  of  his  country's 
glory,  and  leaning  with  his  arm  on  eternity,  he  had 
nothing  more  to  ask.  But  with  a  popularity,  a  weight 
of  character,  and  an  influence  unknown  since  the  days 
of  Washington,  he  stood  by  the  altar  of  the  consti 
tution,  and  offered  it  all  as  a  sacrifice  to  his  country. 
Thousands  have  condemned  him,  but  none  have 

*  Garland's  Eulogy. 


•       JACKSON'S    CABINET.  487 

charged  him  with  selfishness  or  a  sinister  motive. 
Coming  into  the  executive  chair  with  a  determination 
of  bringing  back  the  government  to  the  simple  mean 
ing  of  the  constitution,  confining  its  action  to  a  few 
general  powers,  and  leaving  all  the  rest  to  the  states 
and  to  the  people,  he  resolved  to  accomplish  it  or 
perish  in  the  ruins.  This,  his  greatest  task,  he  did 
accomplish,  as  he  always  accomplished  everything  he 
undertook,  gallantly,  nobly,  perfectly.* 

The  members  of  the  former  cabinet  having  re 
signed,  President  Jackson  immediately  made  the  fol 
lowing  nominations,  which  were  duly  confirmed  by  the 
Senate :  Martin  Van  Buren,  of  New  York,  for  Secre 
tary  of  State ;  Samuel  D.  Ingham,  of  Pennsylvania, 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury ;  John  H.  Eaton,  of  Ten 
nessee,  Secretary  of  War;  John  Branch,  of  North 
Carolina,  Secretary  of  the  Navy ;  John  Macpherso 
Berrien,  of  Georgia,  Attorney  General ;  and  William 
T.  Barry,  of  Kentucky,  Postmaster  General. 

After  thus  constituting  the  cabinet,  and  confirming 
some  other  nominations,  the  Senate  adjourned  on  the 
17th  of  March,  upon  receiving  an  intimation  from  the 
president  that  he  had  no  other  business  to  lay  before 
them. 

Scarcely  had  the  Senate  adjourned,  when  the  work 
of  reform  was  commenced  by  the  removal  of  the 
president's  political  opponents,  and  the  appointment 
of  his  friends  to  office.  The  number  of  appointments 
made  by  him  during  the  recess  of  the  Senate  was  one 
hundred  and  seventy-six,  principally  in  consequence 
of  removals. 

*  Garland's  Eulogy. 


488  FIRST   PRESIDENTIAL  TERM. 

Congress  reassembled  in  December,  1829.  In  his 
first  annual  message,  which  he  then  delivered  to  them, 
he  expressed  his  views  on  political  subjects,  and  on  the 
policy  most  conducive  to  the  prosperity  of  the  nation. 
In  referring  to  the  condition  and  prospects  of  the 
United  States,  he  said : 

"  In  communicating  with  you  for  the  first  time,  it 
is  to  me  a  source  of  unfeigned  satisfaction,  calling  for 
mutual  gratulation  and  devout  thanks  to  a  benign 
Providence,  that  we  are  at  peace  with  all  mankind, 
and  that  our  country  exhibits  the  most  cheering  evi 
dence  of  general  welfare  and  progressive  improvement. 

"Our  foreign  relations,  although  in  their  general 
character  pacific  and  friendly,  present  subjects  of  dif 
ference  between  us  and  other  powers  of  deep  interest, 
as  well  to  the  country  at  large  as  to  many  of  our  citi 
zens.  To  effect  an  adjustment  of  these  shall  continue 
to  be  the  object  of  my  earnest  endeavours ;  and  not 
withstanding  the  difficulties  of  the  task,  I  do  not  allow 
myself  to  apprehend  unfavourable  results.  Blessed  as 
our  country  is  with  everything  which  constitutes  na 
tional  strength,  she  is  fully  adequate  to  the  mainten 
ance  of  all  her  interests.  In  discharging  the  responsi 
ble  trust  confided  to  the  executive  in  this  respect,  it  is 
my  settled  purpose  to  ask  nothing  that  is  not  clearly 
right,  and  to  submit  to  nothing  that  is  wrong ;  and  I 
flatter  myself  that,  supported  by  the  other  branches 
of  the  government,  and  by  the  intelligence  and  patri 
otism  of  the  people,  we  shall  be  able,  under  the  pro 
tection  of  Providence,  to  cause  all  our  just  rights  to 
be  respected." 

He  then  entered  into  a  particular  examination  of 


FIRST    ANNUAL    MESSAGE.  489 

the  relations  of  the  United  States  with  Great  Britain, 
France,  Spain,  and  other  European  powers,  as  well  as 
with  the  Barbary  powers  in  Africa,  and  Brazil  and 
Mexico  on  our  own  continent.  He  recommended  an 
amendment  of  that  part  of  the  constitution  which  re 
lates  to  the  election  of  president  and  vice-president. 
In  relation  to  the  tariff  passed  at  the  last  session  of 
Congress,  the  state  of  the  public  finances,  and  the  re 
venue,  his  message  contained  the  following  para 
graphs  : 

"  No  very  considerable  change  has  occurred  during 
the  recess  of  Congress  in  the  condition  of  either  our 
agriculture,  commerce,  or  manufactures.  The  opera 
tion  of  the  tariff  has  not  proved  so  injurious  to  the  two 
former,  or  as  beneficial  to  the  latter,  as  was  anticipated. 
Importations  of  foreign  goods  have  not  been  sensibly 
diminished,  while  domestic  competition,  under  an 
illusive  excitement,  has  increased  the  production  much 
beyond  the  demand  for  home  consumption.  The  con 
sequences  have  been  low  prices,  temporary  embar 
rassment,  and  partial  loss.  That  such  of  our  own 
manufacturing  establishments  as  are  based  upon  capi 
tal,  and  are  prudently  managed,  will  survive  the  shock, 
and  be  ultimately  profitable,  there  is  no  good  reason 
to  doubt. 

"  To  regulate  its  conduct,  so  as  to  promote  equally 
the  prosperity  of  these  three  cardinal  interests,  is  one 
of  the  most  difficult  tasks  of  government ;  and  it  may 
be  regretted  that  the  complicated  restrictions  which 
now  embarrass  the  intercourse  of  nations,  could 
not  by  common  consent  be  abolished,  and  commerce 
allowed  to  flow  in  those  channels,  to  which  individual 
62 


490  FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM. 

enterprise,  always  its  surest  guide,  might  direct  it. 
But  we  must  ever  expect  selfish  legislation  in  other 
nations ;  and  are  therefore  compelled  to  adopt  our 
own  to  their  regulations,  in  the  manner  best  calculated 
to  avoid  serious  injury,  and  to  harmonize  the  con 
flicting  interest  of  our  agriculture,  our  commerce, 
and  our  manufactures.  Under  these  impressions  I 
invite  your  attention  to  the  existing  tariff,  believing 
that  some  of  its  provisions  require  modification. 

"  The  general  rule  to  be  applied  in  graduating  the 
duties  upon  articles  of  foreign  growth  or  manufacture, 
is  that  which  will  place  our  own  in  fair  competition 
with  those  of  other  countries ;  and  the  inducements 
to  advance  even  a  step  beyond  this  point  are  con 
trolling  in  regard  to  those  articles  which  are  of  pri 
mary  necessity  in  time  of  war.  When  we  reflect 
upon  the  difficulty  and  delicacy  of  this  operation,  it  is 
important  that  it  should  never  be  attempted  but  with 
the  utmost  caution.  Frequent  legislation  in  regard  to 
any  branch  of  industry,  affecting  its  value,  and  by 
which  its  capital  may  be  transferred  to  new  channels, 
must  always  be  productive  of  hazardous  speculation 
and  loss. 

"In  deliberating,  therefore,  on  these  interesting 
subjects,  local  feelings  and  prejudices  should  be 
merged  in  the  patriotic  determination  to  promote  the 
great  interests  of  the  whole.  All  attempts  to  connect 
them  with  the  party  conflicts  of  the  day  are  neces 
sarily  injurious,  and  should  be  discountenanced.  Our 
action  upon  them  should  be  under  the  control  of 
higher  and  purer  motives.  Legislation,  subjected  to 
such  influences,  can  never  be  just ;  and  will  not  long 


FIRST   ANNUAL    MESSAGE,  491 

retain  the  sanction  of  a  people,  whose  active  patriotism 
is  not  bounded  by  sectional  limits,  nor  insensible  to 
that  spirit  of  concession  and  forbearance  which  gave 
life  to  our  political  compact,  and  still  sustains  it. 
Discarding  all  calculations  of  political  ascendency, 
the  north,  the  south,  the  east,  and  the  west  should 
unite  in  diminishing  any  burden  of  which  either  may 
justly  complain. 

"  The  agricultural  interest  of  our  country  is  so  es 
sentially  connected  with  every  other,  and  so  superior 
in  importance  to  them  all,  that  it  is  scarcely  necessary 
to  invite  to  it  your  particular  attention.  It  is  prin 
cipally  as  manufactures  and  commerce  tend  to  in 
crease  the  value  of  agricultural  productions,  and  to 
extend  their  application  to  the  wants  and  comforts  of 
society,  that  they  deserve  the  fostering  care  of  go 
vernment. 

"  Looking  forward  to  the  period,  not  far  distant, 
when  a  sinking  fund  will  no  longer  be  required,  the 
duties  on  those  articles  of  importation  which  cannot 
come  in  competition  with  our  own  productions,  are 
the  first  that  should  engage  the  attention  of  Congress 
in  the  modification  of  the  tariff.  Of  these,  tea  and 
coffee  are  the  most  prominent ;  they  enter  largely  into 
the  consumption  of  the  country,  and  have  become 
articles  of  necessity  to  all  classes.  A  reduction, 
therefore,  of  the  existing  duties  will  be  felt  as  a  com 
mon  benefit ;  but,  like  all  other  legislation  connected 
with  commerce,  to  be  efficacious  and  not  injurious,  it 
should  be  gradual  and  certain." 

In  this  ably  written  message  the  president  next 
called  the  attention  of  Congress  to  the  favourable 


492  FIRST   PRESIDENTIAL   TERM. 

condition  of  the  treasury,  and  expressed  a  strong 
desire  for  effecting  the  payment  of  the  national  debt, 
which  then  amounted  to  upwards  of  sixty  millions  of 
dollars,  with  all  possible  promptitude.  He  recom 
mended  that  such  an  annual  payment  should  be  made 
as  would  extinguish  the  whole  in  eight  years.  After 
this  should  have  been  done,  he  recommended  the  di 
vision  of  the  surplus  revenue  among  the  states,  prin 
cipally  for  the  purpose  of  internal  improvements,  for 
he  had  his  doubts  with  respect  to  the  authority  of  the 
general  government  to  make  appropriations  for  that 
purpose.  Then  referring  to  the  condition  of  the 
Indian  tribes  within  the  United  States,  he  recommend 
ed  their  removal  beyond  the  boundary  of  the  dif 
ferent  states,  but  without  compulsion,  to  such  territory 
west  of  the  Mississippi  as  Congress  might  set  apart 
for  their  use. 

With  regard  to  the  United  States  Bank  he  said : 
"  The  charter  of  the  Bank  of  the  United  States  ex 
pires  in  1836,  and  its  stockholders  will  most  probably 
apply  for  a  renewal  of  their  privileges.  In  order  to 
avoid  the  evils  resulting  from  precipitancy  in  a  measure 
involving  such  important  principles  and  such  deep 
pecuniary  interests,  I  feel  that  I  cannot,  in  justice  to 
the  parties  interested,  too  soon  present  it  to  the  de 
liberate  consideration  of  the  legislature  and  the  people. 
Both  the  constitutionality  and  the  expediency  of  the 
law  creating  this  bank  are  well  questioned  by  a  large 
portion  of  our  fellow-citizens ;  and  it  must  be  admitted 
by  all,  that  it  has  failed  in  the  great  end  of  creating  a 
uniform  and  sound  currency. 

"  Under  these  circumstances,  if  such  an  institution 


FIRST   ANNUAL    MESSAGE.  493 

is  deemed  essential  to  the  fiscal  operations  of  the  go 
vernment,  I  submit  to  the  wisdom  of  the  legislature 
whether  a  national  one,  founded  upon  the  credit  of 
the  government  and  its  revenues,  might  not  be  de 
vised,  which  would  avoid  all  constitutional  difficulties, 
and  at  the  same  time  secure  all  the  advantages  to  the 
government  and  country,  that  were  expected  to 
result  from  the  present  bank." 

Many  of  the  recommendations  contained  in  this 
message  were  considered  immediately ;  but  in  some 
instances  the  views  of  the  president  were  not  con 
curred  in.  Committees  on  retrenchment  and  reform 
made  reports  agreeably  to  the  wishes  of  the  president, 
but  they  were  coldly  received  in  both  houses,  and  little 
action  was  taken  on  them  during  the  session.  The 
recommendations  of  amendments  to  the  constitution 
were  passed  over  as  unimportant  and  neglected.  The 
recommendation  on  the  subject  of  a  revision  of  the 
tariff  met  with  better  treatment,  and  several  bills  were 
introduced  to  diminish  or  repeal  the  duties  on  various 
articles  of  general  consumption. 

On  the  subject  of  a  renewal  of  the  charter  of  the 
Bank  of  the  United  States,  the  standing  committees 
of  the  vSenate  and  the  House,  to  which  it  was  referred, 
made  reports  diametrically  opposite  to  the  recom 
mendation  of  the  president.  The  friends  of  the  ad 
ministration  formed  a  majority  in  both  committees, 
and  the  marked  difference  in  the  opinions  entertained 
by  them  from  that  expressed  in  the  president's  mes 
sage,  afforded  a  striking  proof,  that  Jackson  was 
already  far  in  advance  of  the  party  which  had  brought 
him  into  power,  as  the  measures  which  he  recommended 
38 


494  FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL  TERM. 

at  that  time  have  been  nearly  all  subsequently  car 
ried  into  effect. 

This  session  of  the  federal  legislature  continued 
for  six  months ;  and  the  following  laws  were  the  most 
important  which  were  passed  and  approved  by  Presi 
dent  Jackson  during  that  period :  For  the  re-appro 
priation  of  thirty  thousand  dollars  for  the  suppression 
of  the  slave  trade,  which  had  been  appropriated  two 
years  before,  but  was  not  expended,  and  which  was 
founded  on  an  act  of  Congress  of  1819 — for  repealing 
an  act  imposing  tonnage  duties  on  vessels,  of  which 
the  officers  and  two-thirds  of  the  seamen  were  citi 
zens  of  the  United  States — for  the  more  effectual 
collection  of  impost  duties,  appointing  eight  additional 
appraisers  to  examine  goods  imported — for  the  ap 
pointment  of  an  additional  officer  to  be  attached  to 
the  treasury  department,  called  the  solicitor  of  the 
treasury — for  reducing  the  rate  of  duties  on  tea  and 
coffee,  as  recommended  by  the  president  in  his  an 
nual  message ;  also  on  salt  and  molasses,  and  allow 
ing  a  drawback  on  spirits  exported,  distilled  from 
that  article,  which  the  existing  laws  did  not  permit — 
for  allowing  a  portion  of  the  claims  of  Massachusetts 
for  services  and  expenses  of  the  militia  in  1812—1814, 
in  time  of  war,  and  for  which  that  state  had  not 
been  reimbursed;  the  amount  allowed  being  four 
hundred  and  thirty  thousand  dollars,  about  half  the 
sum  claimed — for  the  removal  of  the  Indians  from 
lands  occupied  by  them  within  any  state  of  the  Union, 
to  a  territory  west  of  the  river  Mississippi,  and  with 
out  the  limits  of  any  state,  or  organized  territory,  and 
belonging  to  the  United  States,  by  purchase  or  re- 


WEBSTER    AND    HAYNE.  495 

linquishment  of  the  Indians,  by  treaty ;  to  divide  such 
western  territory  into  districts,  for  the  reception  and 
permanent  settlement  of  those  who  should  consent 
to  emigrate  from  their  residence  on  the  east  of  that 
river,  they  relinquishing  all  claims  to  lands  they  then 
occupied;  the  tribes  to  have  the  solemn  assurance 
of  government,  that  it  will  for  ever  secure  and 
guaranty  to  them  and  their  posterity,  the  tract  of 
country  so  exchanged  by  them  for  the  lands  they 
should  quit  in  Georgia,  Alabama,  and  any  other  states; 
and  should  they  abandon  the  territory  at  any  future 
time,  the  same  to  revert  to  the  United  States;  the 
Indians  to  be  reimbursed  for  their  improvements  made 
on  the  lands  they  may  leave ;  to  be  aided  in  their  re 
moval  and  supported  for  one  year  by  the  federal  go 
vernment;  to  be  protected  against  assaults  from  other 
tribes  in  the  vicinity  of  their  new  residence ;  and  five 
hundred  thousand  dollars  were  granted  for  carrying 
the  same  into  effect.* 

During  this  session  of  Congress,  a  highly  interest- 
ting  debate  took  place  in  the  Senate,  on  a  resolution 
offered  by  Mr.  Foote,  of  Connecticut,  relating  to  the 
public  lands,  in  the  course  of  which,  Mr.  Hayne,  of 
South  Carolina,  introduced  the  subject  of  state  rights, 
and  contended  that  the  several  states  within  which  the 
public  lands  were  situated,  should  have  the  entire 
control  and  jurisdiction  over  them.  Mr.  Webster 
replied  to  Mr.  Hayne  in  one  of  the  most  eloquent, 
powerful,  and  effective  speeches  ever  delivered  in 
Congress ;  and  contended  that  on  subjects  fully  com- 

*  Bradford's  History  of  the  Federal  Government. 


496 


FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM. 


Daniel  Webster. 


mitted  to  the  government,  by  the  constitution,  its 
powers  were  absolute,  exclusive,  and  unlimited ;  that 
no  state,  nor  even  a  number  of  states,  might  justly 
interfere  in  such  cases ;  and  that  the  public  lands,  not 
expressly  ceded  to  a  particular  state,  were  solely  and 
absolutely  at  the  disposal  of  the  United  States  go 
vernment.  This  speech  produced  a  most  wonderful 
effect  throughout  the  Union,  and  destroyed  for  a  time 
the  hopes  of  the  advocates  of  the  new  doctrine  of 
nullification ;  yet  the  views  of  Mr.  Hayne,  respecting 
state  rights  and  powers,  continued  to  be  entertained 


MAYSVILLEAND   LEXINGTON    ROAD   BILL.     497 

and  asserted  by  a  large  and  respectable  portion  of 
the  people  of  the  southern  states.  No  particular  law 
resulted  from  this  able  and  protracted  discussion. 

The  question  of  internal  improvements  by  the 
general  government  was  also  discussed  at  the  first 
session  of  the  twenty-first  Congress,  and  a  bill  was 
passed,  in  the  House,  by  a  vote  of  102  to  85,  and  in 
the  Senate  by  24  to  18,  authorizing  a  subscription  to 
the  stock  of  the  Maysville  and  Lexington  Road  Com 
pany,  in  Kentucky.  The  bill  thus  passed  by  so  large 
a  majority,  was  sent  to  the  president  for  his  approval. 
After  retaining  it  eight  days,  he  returned  it  to  the 
House  on  the  27th  of  May,  1830,  with  his  objections. 

The  reading  of  this  veto  message  caused  much 
excitement  in  Congress.  Many  of  the  friends  of  the 
president  from  Pennsylvania  and  from  the  west,  had 
relied  upon  his  approbation  of  this  bill  and  of  the 
system  of  internal  improvements  by  Congress ;  ana 
this  message  first  forced  upon  their  minds  a  conviction 
as  unwelcome  as  it  was  unexpected.  The  question 
being  taken  upon  the  passage  of  the  bill,  notwith 
standing  the  objections  of  the  president,  the  vote 
stood  yeas  96,  nays  92.  Two-thirds  of  the  house  not 
agreeing  to  pass  the  bill,  it  was  rejected ;  though  a  ma 
jority  of  the  house  thus  refused  to  sustain  the  objec 
tions  of  the  president. 

Two  days  afterwards  the  House  of  Representa 
tives  took  up  several  bills,  which  had  been  sent  to 
them  from  the  Senate,  relating  to  internal  improve 
ments  ;  and,  notwithstanding  the  veto  of  the  Mays 
ville  road  bill,  passed,  by  large  majorities,  three  acts, 
the  first  of  which  authorized  a  subscription  to  the 
63  38* 


498  FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM. 

Washington  Turnpike  Company ;  the  second,  to  the 
Louisville  and  Portland  Canal  Company,  and  the  third 
appropriating  money  for  light-houses,  improving  har 
bours,  directing  surveys,  &c.  The  first  bill  being 
similar  to  the  one  already  rejected  by  the  president, 
was  returned  by  him  to  the  Senate,  where  it  originated; 
with  a  reference  to  the  message  on  the  Maysville  bill 
for  his  reasons.  The  Senate  then  proceeded  to  re 
consider  the  bill,  and  on  the  question  of  its  passage, 
the  vote  stood  yeas  21,  nays  17;  and  the  majority 
being  less  than  two-thirds,  the  bill  was  rejected.  The 
other  two  bills  were  retained  by  the  president  until 
after  the  adjournment  of  Congress,  May  31st,  1830, 
and  were  consequently  lost.* 

The  second  session  of  the  twenty-first  Congress 
commenced  on  the  6th  of  December,  1830,  and  con 
tinued  to  the  3d  of  March,  1831.  The  annual  mes 
sage  of  President  Jackson  in  December,  1830,  was 
unusually  elaborate.  In  it  he  gave  a  full  and  minute 
statement  of  the  acts  of  the  executive  department 
during  the  recess  of  the  legislature.  Among  the 
more  important  of  these  acts  were  the  nominal  im 
provement  of  the  commercial  intercourse  with  the 
colonial  ports  of  Great  Britain,  and  advantageous 
treaties  negotiated  with  Turkey,  Denmark,  France, 
and  Mexico. 

By  the  treaty  with  the  Sublime  Porte,  a  free  pas 
sage  was  secured,  without  limitation  of  time,  to  the 
vessels  of  the  United  States  to  and  from  the  Black 
Sea,  including  the  navigation  thereof;  and  our  trade 

*  Statesman's  Manual. 


SECOND    ANNUAL    MESSAGE.  499 

with  Turkey  was  placed  on  the  footing  of  the  most 
favoured  nations  of  Europe.  A  treaty  had  been 
agreed  on  with  Denmark,  by  which  six  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  dollars  were  to  be  paid  to  American 
citizens  as  an  indemnity  for  spoliations  upon  their  com 
merce  in  1808-1811. 

Similar  indemnity  was  expected  soon  to  be  re 
ceived  from  some  other  European  governments,  on 
whom  claims  had  been  several  years  before  made  for 
like  previous  depredations.  The  negotiations  with 
France  for  a  recognition  and  allowance  of  claims  on 
that  government,  in  consequence  of  depredations  com 
mitted  on  American  commerce  at  former  times,  and 
to  a  large  amount,  had  been  prosecuted  with  renewed 
zeal  and  with  a  strong  hope  of  speedy  success ;  for  a 
friendly  spirit  was  manifested  by  the  French  govern 
ment  on  the  subject,  although  some  objections  were 
offered  as  to  an  allowance  of  all  the  claims;  the 
recent  resolution  in  France  indicating  a  favourable 
result  to  the  negotiation,  as  well  as  a  proper  occasion 
for  extending  the  commercial  intercourse  between  the 
two  countries.  The  strongest  assurances  had  been 
received  of  the  early  and  favourable  consideration  of 
the  subjects  of  difference  with  Spain.  The  president 
then  gave  his  reasons  in  full  for  the  course  he  had 
pursued  in  relation  to  internal  improvements.  He 
represented  the  financial  affairs  of  the  government  as 
in  a  most  prosperous  condition ;  the  expenditures 
during  the  year  being  estimated  at  less  than  fourteen 
millions  of  dollars,  exclusive  of  the  amount  appro 
priated  for  paying  the  annual  instalment  of  the  public 


500  FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM. 

debt,  which  was  eleven  millions;  and  the  receipts  into 
the  treasury  exceeding  twenty-four  millions. 

In  the  address  of  the  president  at  this  time,  he 
again  repeated  his  opinion  of  the  propriety  of  limit 
ing  the  president's  tenure  of  office  to  one  term  of 
four  or  six  years;  he  expressed  his  views  at  some 
length  of  the  powers  of  the  federal  and  state  govern 
ments,  and  of  the  importance  of  avoiding  all  en 
croachments  of  each  upon  the  other;  he  referred  to 
the  condition  of  the  Indians,  and  gave  his  unqualified 
testimony  to  the  "  benevolent  policy"  of  the  federal 
government,  from  its  origin,  towards  these  uncivilized 
people.  He  informed  Congress  that  two  important 
tribes  had  accepted  the  provision  made  for  their 
removal  at  the  last  session  of  Congress,  and  he  be 
lieved  that  their  example  would  soon  induce  the  re 
maining  tribes  to  seek  the  same  obvious  advantages. 
He  again  recommended  a  modification  of  the  tariff 
law  of  1828,  which,  he  said,  "  taxed  some  of  the  com 
forts  of  life  unnecessarily  high,  and  undertook  to 
protect  interests  too  local  and  minute  to  justify  a 
general  exaction." 

He  then  informed  them  that  nothing  had  occurred 
to  lessen  in  any  degree  the  dangers  which  many 
American  citizens  apprehended  from  the  rechartering 
of  the  Bank  of  the  United  States,  as  then  organized. 
In  the  spirit  of  improvement  and  compromise  which 
distinguished  our  country  and  its  institutions,  it  wrould 
become  the  people's  representatives  to  inquire  whether 
it  would  not  be  possible  to  secure  the  advantages 
afforded  by  that  bank,  through  the  agency  of  a  bank 
of  the  United  States  so  modified  in  its  principles  and 


INTERNAL    IMPROVEMENT.  501 

structure  as  to  obviate  constitutional  and  other  ob 
jections. 

There  were  two  or  three  acts  of  Congress  for  the 
purpose  of  internal  improvement,  passed  at  this  ses 
sion  by  such  overwhelming  majorities,  as  to  induce 
the  president  to  yield  his  scruples  to  the  force  of 
public  opinion  and  sign  the  bills.  The  principal  acts  of 
Congress  of  general  interest  approved  by  the  president 
during  the  second  session  of  the  21st  Congress,  were 

o  o  ~ 

the  following:  Making  appropriations  for  the  improve 
ment  of  harbours  and  removing  obstructions  in  rivers ; 
to  amend  the  copyright  laws,  by  extending  the  term 
of  copyright  to  authors  and  others,  to  twenty-eight 
years,  with  the  privilege  of  renewing  the  same  for  the 
additional  period  of  fourteen  years ;  for  the  continua 
tion  of  the  Cumberland  Road  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  and 
Illinois ;  confirming  certain  grants  of  land  made  by  the 
United  States  in  1819,  for  the  encouragement  of  the 
culture  of  the  vine  and  olive ;  granting  the  control  of 
the  National  Road  in  Ohio  to  that  state  for  the  purpose 
of  erecting  gates  and  toll-houses  thereon,  and  an  act 
allowing  duties  on  imports  to  be  paid  at  Pittsburg, 
Cincinnati,  Nashville,  and  other  ports  on  the  waters 
of  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  rivers.* 

About  this  time  it  was  asserted  by  the  opponents 
of  the  president,  that  his  opinions  were  influenced, 
and  appointments  to  office  effected,  through  the  in 
strumentality  of  a  cabal  said  to  have  been  composed 
principally  of  subordinate  officeholders,  who  had  been 
consequently  named  the  "kitchen  cabinet."  This 

*  Statesman's  Manual,  p.  983. 


502  FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM. 

libel,  though  long  asserted,  and  believed  by  many,  is 
now  well  known  to  have  been  false,  and  to  have  had 
its  origin  in  complaints  of  disappointed  political  dema 
gogues.  So  far  from  the  president's  delegating  any 
portion  of  his  proper  duties  to  irresponsible  persons, 
he  was  scrupulously  attentive  to  the  exact  discharge 
of  them  himself.  No  person  ever  presumed  to  inter 
fere  with  his  duties  in  the  way  of  dictation  or  even 
suggestion.  He  is  known  to  have  read  with  care  every 
letter  addressed  to  him  as  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  it  was  his  constant  practice  to  note  on 
the  backs  of  those  requiring  answers  a  memorandum 
of  the  answer  which  he  thought  necessary,  before 
handing  them  over  to  his  secretary ;  who  would  then 
write  his  answers  from  the  president's  notes  on  each 
letter.  Matters  requiring  to  be  referred  to  a  depart 
ment  were  referred  with  the  president's  opinion  where 
it  was  necessary. 

General  Jackson  had  hitherto  expressed  the  opin 
ion  that  the  president  ought  to  hold  his  office  but  one 
term,  and  had  more  than  once  recommended  an 
amendment  of  the  constitution  to  that  effect.  But  in 
1831  he  yielded  to  the  importunities  of  many  politi 
cal  friends,  as  well  as  to  the  expressed  wishes  of  the 
legislatures  of  the  states  of  Pennsylvania  and  New 
York,  and  consented  to  be  a  candidate  for  re-election 

Between  the  months  of  April  and  June  1831. 
owing  to  some  misunderstanding  existing  between  the 
secretary  of  war  and  the  other  members  of  the  cabi 
net,  they  all,  except  the  postmaster-general,  resigned ; 
and  the  new  cabinet,  which  was  not  completely  or 
ganized  until  late  in  the  summer,  was  constituted  as 


SECOND   ANNUAL   MESSAGE  503 

follows: — Edward  Livingston,  of  Louisiana,  Secretary 
of  State ;  Louis  M'Lane,  of  Delaware,  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury;  Lewis  Cass,  of  Ohio,  Secretary  of  War; 
Levi  Woodbury,  of  New  Hampshire,  Secretary  of 
the  Navy ;  Roger  B.  Taney,  of  Maryland,  Attorney 
General ;  and  William  T.  Barry,  of  Kentucky,  Post 
master-General,  continued. 

This  cabinet  was  not  only  superior  to  that  which 
preceded  it,  but  might  fairly  be  compared,  in  point  of 
talent  and  ability,  with  most  of  those  of  previous  ad 
ministrations  ;  and  its  character  furnished  strong 
testimony  of  the  tribute  paid  to  public  opinion  in  the 
selection  of  his  advisers,  by  a  chief  magistrate  of 
great  personal  popularity.* 

The  first  session  of  the  22d  Congress  commenced 
on  the  5th  of  December,  1831,  and  continued  to  July 
14th,  1832.  The  president's  annual  message  con 
tained  the  usual  amount  of  information  in  relation  to 
the  foreign  and  domestic  affairs  of  the  country,  and 
nearly  the  same  recommendations  as  the  last. 

The  census  of  1830  having  been  completed,  a 
new  apportionment  of  representatives  among  the 
different  states  was  made,  and  the  ratio  fixed  was  one 
representative  for  forty-seven  thousand  seven  hundred 
inhabitants. 

The  following  were  the  most  important  measures 
of  the  federal  government  and  the  political  events 
affecting  the  United  States,  which  happened  in  1831, 
and  were  made  known  by  the  president  to  both  houses 
of  Congress  in  his  third  annual  message.  As  the 

*  Statesman's  Manual,  987. 


504  FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM. 

King  of  the  Netherlands,  to  whom  had  been  referred 
the  adjustment  of  the  dispute  between  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain  with  respect  to  the  North- 
Eastern  boundary,  had  departed  from  the  real  question 
referred  to  him,  and  given  an  opinion  which  was  of  the 
nature  of  a  compromise,  the  government  of  the  United 
States  did  not  acquiesce  in  his  judgment.  The  treaty 
with  France  was  finally  settled,  the  sum  provided  to 
be  paid  for  commercial  spoliations  being  sufficient  to 
satisfy  most  of  the  claimants.  Treaties  of  com 
merce  were  renewed  with  Sweden  and  Denmark. 
The  removal  of  some  Indian  tribes  from  the  states 
in  which  they  had  formerly  resided,  had  been  effected 
during  the  year,  and  others  were  preparing  also  to 
remove  in  the  year  following — they  were  chiefly  from 
the  states  of  Mississippi,  Alabama,  and  Georgia— and 
the  lands  provided  for  their  future  settlement  were 
far  west  of  the  river  Mississippi,  and  beyond  the 
territory  occupied  by  citizens  of  the  United  States ; 
and  where  they  were  to  be  entirely  separated  from  all 
state  authority ;  which,  it  was  supposed,  would  con 
duce  to  their  welfare,  their  preservation,  and  to  the 
peace  of  the  nation.  The  public  finances  appeared 
to  be  in  as  prosperous  state  as  for  several  preceding 
years,  and  the  usual  reduction  of  the  national  debt 
was  made.  The  president  again  expressed  his  views 
as  given  on  a  former  occasion,  of  the  propriety  of  an 
alteration  of  the  constitution,  for  preventing  the  same 
person  from  being  elected  as  president  of  the  United 
States  for  a  second  term;  and  against  the  policy 
of  renewing  the  charter  of  the  Bank  of  the  United 
States,  which  would  expire  in  1836.  He  again  recom- 


REJECTION    OF    VAN    BUR  EN. 


505 


Martin  Van  Buren. 


mended  an  alteration  or  modification   of  the  tariff 
of  1828.* 

During  this  session  of  Congress  the  Senate  re 
jected  the  president's  nomination  of  Mr.  Van  Buren 
as  minister  to  England.  As  he  had  been  appointed 
and  sent  to  the  court  of  St.  James  during  the  recess, 
the  rejection  was  necessarily  followed  by  his  recall. 


Bradford. 


64 


506  FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL   TERM. 

This  act  of  the  Senate  excited  strongly  the  indigna 
tion  of  the  president  and  the  people ;  arid  it  was  un 
doubtedly  a  principal  cause  of  Mr.  Van  Buren's  sub 
sequent  nomination  for  the  office  of  president. 

Many  subjects  of  great  interest  came  under  the 
consideration  of  Congress  at  this  session ;  and  among 
them  none  excited  more  of  the  public  attention  than 
that  of  the  renewal  of  the  charter  of  the  Bank  of  the 
United  States.  This  bank  had  been  established  in 
1816,  with  a  charter  for  twenty  years. 

From  the  time  of  Jackson's  election  in  1829,  he 
had  opposed  the  measure  of  the  renewal  of  the 
charter,  alone  and  unsupported,  but  with  the  utmost 
determination.  His  views  led  him  to  limit  the  central 
authority;  and  this,  like  other  commercial  and  moneyed 
bodies,  bearing  an  aristocratic  character,  excited  his 
peculiar  jealousy.  Even  in  his  first  annual  message, 
he  intimated  that  its  constitutionality  and  expediency 
were  riuch  questioned,  and  suggested  another  insti 
tution,  founded  on  the  security  of  government  and  its 
revenues.  This  declaration  was  the  signal  of  deadly 
war  between  him  and  the  bank.  That  establishment 
seeing  its  existence  threatened,  is  alleged  to  have 
employed  its  funds  and  its  influence  in  efforts  at  once 
to  defend  itself,  and  to  shake  his  authority.  In  his 
second  message  he  again  renewed  the  proposal  of  a 
bank  which  should  be  a  branch  of  the  treasury,  with 
out  liberty  to  issue  notes,  make  loans,  or  purchase 
property.  On  the  9th  of  January,  1832,  however,  a 
petition  being  presented  to  Congress  for  a  new  charter 
to  the  existing  institution,  was  referred  to  a  select 
committee,  which,  on  the  13th  of  March,  reported  in 


BANK    BILL    VETOED.  507 

its  favour,  recommending  only  some  limitations  to  the 
power  of  issuing  notes  and  holding  real  property,  also 
the  payment  of  a  bonus  of  one  million  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  After  long  debates  and  various 
amendments,  a  bill  for  this  purpose  was  carried  in 
the  Senate  by  a  vote  of  28  to  20,  and  in  the  House 
of  Representatives  by  107  to  85 ;  but,  being  on  the 
4th  of  July  sent  to  the  president,  it  was  returned  to 
the  Senate  on  the  10th  of  July  with  an  absolute  veto, 
which,  not  being  opposed  by  two-thirds,  decided  the 
fate  of  the  bank. 

"  Never,  from  the  first  moment  of  Jackson's  ad 
ministration  to  the  last,  was  there  a  calm  in  the  strife 
of  parties  on  the  subject  of  the  currency ;  and  never, 
during  the  whole  period,  did  he  recede  or  falter. 
Always  in  advance  of  his  party — always  having  near 
him  friends  who  cowered  before  the  hardihood  of  his 
courage,  he  himself,  throughout  all  the  contest,  was 
unmoved,  from  the  first  suggestion  of  the  uncon 
stitutionally  of  the  bank,  to  the  moment  when  he 
himself,  first  'of  all,  reasoning  from  the  certain 
tendency  of  its  policy,  with  singular  sagacity  pre 
dicted  to  unbelieving  friends  the  coming  insolvency  of 
the  institution. 

"  The  storm  throughout  the  country  rose  with  un- 
exampled"vehemence ;  his  opponents  were  not  satisfied 
with  addressing  the  public,  or  Congress,  or  his  cabi 
net  ;  they  threw  their  whole  force  personally  on  him. 
From  all  parts  men  pressed  around  him,  urging  him, 
entreating  him  to  bend.  Congress  was  flexible ;  many 
of  his  personal  friends  faltered ;  the  impetuous  swell 
ing  wave  rolled  on  without  one  sufficient  obstacle  till 


508  FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL   TERM. 

it  reached  his  presence ;  but,  as  it  dashed  in  its  high 
est  fury  at  his  feet,  it  broke  before  his  firmness.  The 
commanding  majesty  of  his  will  appalled  his  oppo 
nents,  and  revived  his  friends.  He  himself  had  a* 
proud  consciousness  that  his  will  was  indomitable. 
Standing  over  the  rocks  of  the  Rip  Raps,  looking  out 
upon  the  ocean,  'Providence,'  said  he  to  a  friend, 
4  Providence  may  change  my  determination ;  but  man 
can  no  more  do  it  than  he  can  remove  these  Rip 
Raps,  which  have  resisted  the  rolling  ocean  from  the 
beginning  of  time.'  And  though  a  panic  was  spread 
ing  through  the  land,  and  the  whole  credit  system,  as 
it  then  existed,  was  crumbling  to  pieces  and  crushing 
around  him,  he  stood  erect,  like  a  massive  column, 
which  the  heaps  of  falling  ruins  could  not  break,  nor 
bend,  nor  sway  from  its  fixed  foundation."* 

The  tariff  of  1828  was  also  slightly  modified  by 
this  Congress  in  July  1832,  but  the  small 'and  partial 
reduction  of  duties  secured  by  this  act  did  not  lessen, 
but  rather  seemed  to  increase  the  opposition,  in  the 
southern  states,  to  the  American  system,  as  the 
policy  of  high  duties  on  imports,  for  the  protection 
of  domestic  manufactures,  was  then  called.  In 
South  Carolina  the  complaints  and  the  opposition  ex 
ceeded  those  made  in  any  of  the  other  states ;  and  it 
was  resolved  a  few  months  after  the  passage  of  the 
law  of  July  1832,  not  by  a  few  individuals,  but  by 
the  legislature  of  the  state,  that  that  and  the  former 
law  of  1828  were  infractions  of  the  constitution,  or 
exceeded  the  power  given  to  the  federal  government 

*  Bancroft's  Eulogy. 


NULLIFICATION.  509 

by  that  compact ;  and  were  therefore  null  and  void ; 
and  that  the  execution  of  those  acts  within  the  state  was 
to  be  prevented,  even  by  force,  if  necessary*  And  the 
necessary  measures  were  taken  to  enforce  this  reso 
lution. 

These  proceedings  by  the  party  which  had  obtained 
possession  of  the  state  government,  brought  on  an 
issue  between  the  state  and  federal  governments,  that 
could  no  longer  be  neglected.  The  very  existence  of 
the  government  depended  upon  the  decision  of  the 
president.  South  Carolina  had  set  at  defiance  the 
legislation  of  the  general  government,  and  declared 
that  no  umpire  should  be  admitted  to  decide  between 
the  contending  parties.  At  such  a  crisis,  the  presi 
dent  felt  that  there  was  no  room  for  hesitation.  The 
difficulty  must  be  met,  not  only  to  save  the  Union 
from  being  broken  up,  but  to  protect  those  citizens  of 
South  Carolina  who  still  adhered  to  its  standard,  from 
the  horrors  of  civil  discord.  The  president  deter 
mined  to  come  at  once  to  an  issue  with  the  nullifi- 
ers;  and  to  exercise  the  executive  authority  in  such 
manner  as  to  maintain  the  supremacy  of  the  law, 
and  the  integrity  of  the  Union,  and  he  proceeded 
therefore  to  enforce  the  revenue  acts  with  an  entire 
disregard  to  the  rights  of  sovereignty  which  were 
assumed  by  the  State  of  South  Carolina. 

With  that  view  all  the  disposable  military  force 
was  ordered  to  assemble  at  Charleston,  and  a  sloop 
of  war  was  sent  to  that  port  to  protect  the  federal 
officers,  in  case  of  necessity,  in  the  execution  of  their 

*  Bradford. 
39* 


510  FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM. 

duty.  On  the  10th  of  December,  the  eloquent  and 
energetic  proclamation  of  the  president  was  issued, 
plainly  and  forcibly  stating  the  nature  of  the  Ameri 
can  government,  and  the  supremacy  of  the  federal 
authorities  in  all  matters  intrusted  to  their  care ;  and 
exhorting  the  citizens  of  South  Carolina  not  to  persist 
in  a  course  which  must  bring  upon  their  state  the 
force  of  the  confederacy,  and  expose  the  Union  to  the 
hazard  of  dissolution.* 

In  this  memorable  proclamation  he  speaks  to 
the  citizens  of  the  disaffected  states  with  fraternal 
kindness.  He  points  to  the  constitution  as  the  per 
petual  bond  of  our  union,  which  we  have  received  as 
the  work  of  the  assembled  wisdom  of  the  nation,  in 
which  we  have  trusted  as  the  sheet  anchor  of  our 
safety,  in  the  stormy  times  of  conflict  with  a  foreign 
or  domestic  foe;  to  which  we  have  looked  with  a 
sacred  awe,  as  the  palladium  of  our  liberties;  and 
which,  with  all  the  solemnities  of  religion,  we  have 
pledged  to  each  other  our  lives  and  fortunes  here,  and 
our  hopes  of  happiness  hereafter,  to  defend  and  sup 
port.  He  invokes  the  descendants  of  the  Pinckneys, 
the  Sumters,  the  Rutledges,  and  the  thousand  other 
names  which  adorn  their  revolutionary  history,  not  to 
abandon  4hat  Union,  to  support  which,  so  many  of 
them  fought,  and  bled,  and  died.  He  adjures  them,  as 
they  honour  their  memory,  as  they  love  the  cause  of 
freedom,  to  which  they  dedicated  their  lives,  as  they 
prize  the  peace  of  our  country,  the  lives  of  its  best 
citizens,  and  their  own  fair  fame,  to  retrace  their  steps. 

*  Statesman's  Manual,  p.  999. 


JACKSON'S  PROCLAMATION.        511 

But  having  entreated,  invoked,  and  adjured  with  fatherly 
affection — having  placed  before  them  the  motives  for 
returning  to  the  path  of  duty,  he  assumes  the  dignity 
of  the  magistrate,  and  denounces  the  penalty  of  con 
tinued  resistance.  He  tells  them  that  they  cannot  de 
stroy  the  constitution  :  they  may  disturb  its  peace,  in 
terrupt  the  course  of  its  prosperity,  and  cloud  its 
reputation  for  stability ;  but  its  tranquillity  will  be  re 
stored,  its  prosperity  will  return,  existing  revenue 
laws  will  be  enforced,  and  their  unequal  features 
will  be  changed  by  force  of  public  opinion,  and  by 
the  fact  that  the  approaching  payment  of  the  public 
debt  will  require  a  diminution  of  duties.  He  then 
announces  to  his  fellow-citizens  of  the  United 
States,  that  a  crisis  had  approached  in  our  affairs, 
on  which  the  continuance  of  our  uninterrupted 
prosperity,  our  political  existence,  and  perhaps  that 
of  all  free  governments  may  depend.  He  relies 
with  confidence  on  their  individual  support,  in  his  de 
termination  to  execute  the  laws — to  preserve  the 
Union  by  all  constitutional  means ;  to  arrest,  if  pos 
sible,  by  moderate  but  firm  measures,  the  necessity  of 
a  recourse  to  force ;  and,  if  it  be  the  will  of  Heaven 
that  the  recurrence  of  its  primeval  curse  on  man,  for 
the  shedding  of  a  brother's  blood,  should  fall  upon  our 
land,  that  it  be  not  called  down  by  any  offensive  act 
on  the  part  of  the  United  States.* 

"  By  nature,  by  impulse,  by  education,  political  sym 
pathies,  and  the  fixed  habit  of  his  mind,  a  friend  to 
the  rights  of  the  states — unwilling  that  the  liberty  of 
the  states  should  be  trampled  under  foot — unwilling 
that  the  constitution  should  lose  its  vigour,  or  be  im- 


512  FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL   TERM. 

paired,  General  Jackson  thus  rallied  for  the  constitu 
tion  :  and  in  its  name  he  published  to  the  world,  '  THE 
UNION:  IT  MUST  BE  PRESERVED.'  The  words  were  a 
spell  to  hush  evil  passion,  and  to  remove  oppression. 
Under  his  guiding  influence,  the  favoured  interests 
which  had  struggled  to  perpetuate  unjust  legislation, 
yielded  to  the  voice  of  moderation  and  reform ;  and 
every  mind  that  had  for  a  moment  contemplated  a 
rupture  of  the  states,  discarded  it  for  ever.  The 
whole  influence  of  the  past  was  invoked  in  favour  of 
the  constitution ;  from  the  council  chambers  of  the 
fathers  who  moulded  our  institutions — from  the  hall 
where  American  independence  was  declared,  the  clear 
loud  cry  was  uttered — '  The  Union :  it  must  be  pre 
served.'  From  every  battle-field  of  the  Revolution — 
from  Lexington  and  Bunker  Hill — from  Saratoga  and 
Yorktown — from  the  fields  of  Eutaw — from  the  cane- 
brakes  that  sheltered  the  men  of  Marion — the  re 
peated,  long-prolonged  echoes  came  up — '  The  Union : 
it  must  be  preserved.'  From  every  valley  in  our 
land — from  every  cabin  on  the  pleasant  mountain 
sides — from  the  ships  at  our  wharves — from  the  tents 
of  the  hunter  in  our  westernmost  prairies — from  the 
living  minds  of  the  living  millions  of  American  free 
men — from  the  thickly  coming  glories  of  futurity — 
the  shout  went  up  like  the  sound  of  many  waters, 
6  The  Union  :  it  must  be  preserved.'  The  friends  of 
the  protective  system  and  they  who  had  denounced 
the  protective  system — the  statesmen  of  the  north, 
who  had  wounded  the  constitution  in  their  love  of 
centralism — of  the  south,  whose  minds  had  carried  to 
its  extreme  the  theory  of  state  rights — all  conspired 


JACKSON'S    PROCLAMATION.  513 

together;  all  breathed  prayers  for  the  perpetuity  of 
the  Union.  Under  the  prudent  firmness  of  Jackson — 
under  the  mixture  of  justice  and  general  regard  for 
all  interests,  the  greatest  danger  to  our  institutions 
was  turned  aside,  and  mankind  was  encouraged  to 
believe  that  our  Union,  like  our  freedom,  is  imperish 
able. 

"  The  moral  of  the  great  events  of  those  days  is 
this :  that  the  people  can  discern  right,  and  will  make 
their  way  to  a  knowledge  of  right ;  that  the  whole 
human  mind,  and  therefore,  with  it,  the  mind  of  the 
nation,  has  a  continuous,  ever  improving  existence; 
that  the  appeal  from  the  unjust  legislation  of  to-day 
must  be  made  quietly,  earnestly,  perseveringly,  to  the 
enlightened  collective  reason  of  to-morrow ;  that  sub 
mission  is  due  to  the  popular  will,  in  the  confidence 
that  the  people,  when  in  error,  will  amend  their 
doings ;  that  in  a  popular  government,  injustice  is 
neither  to  be  established  by  force,  nor  to  be  resisted 
by  force ;  in  a  word,  that  the  Union,  which  was  con 
stituted  by  consent,  must  be  preserved  by  love."* 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  features  in  this  con 
test  was  the  unprecedented  position  of  Mr.  Calhoun. 
He  had  had  a  misunderstanding  with  the  president  in 
the  earlier  part  of  his  administration ;  and  now,  at  the 
call  of  his  own  state,  he  resigned  his  office  of  vice 
president,  was  elected  one  of  her  Senators  in  Con 
gress,  and  took  his  seat  in  that  body  to  defend  her 
cause. 

The  president  on  this  momentous   occasion  was 

*  Bancroft's  Eulogy. 
65 


514  FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM. 


John  C.  Calhoun. 


ably  supported  by  the  leaders  of  the  opposition  part}7 
in  Congress,  with  Mr.  Webster  at  their  head ;  and  the 
South  Carolinians  were  finally  pacified  by  the  passage 
of  the  well  known  compromise  act  proposed  by  Mr. 
Clay,  which  provided  for  a  gradual  reduction  of  duties 
on  imported  merchandise. 

During  the  year  1832,  some  difficulties  occurred 
with  the  Indian  tribes  on  the  north-western  frontier 
of  the  United  States.  The  hostile  incursions  of  the 
Sac  and  Fox  Indians  under  Black  Hawk,  necessarily 
led  to  the  interposition  of  the  general  government, 
Detachments  of  troops,  under  Generals  Scott  and 


JACKSON    RE-ELECTED,  515 

Atkinson,  and  of  the  militia  of  the  state  of  Illinois, 
were  called  into  the  field.  After  a  harassing  war 
fare,  prolonged  by  the  nature  of  the  country,  and  by 
the  difficulty  of  procuring  subsistence,  the  Indians 
were  entirely  defeated,  and  the  disaffected  band  dis 
persed  or  destroyed. 

Before  the  meeting  of  Congress  in  December 
1832,  the  presidential  election  had  taken  place,  and 
the  votes  of  the  electors  for  president  stood  as  fol 
lows:  Andrew  Jackson  219,  Henry  Clay  49,  John 
Floyd  11,  and  William  Wirt  7.  For  vice  president — 
Martin  Van  Buren  189,  John  Sergeant  49,  William 
Wilkins  30,  Henry  Lee  11,  and  Amos  Ellmaker  7. 

The  second  session  of  the  22d  Congress  com 
menced  on  the  4th  of  December,  1832,  and  continued 
all  the  3d  of  March,  1833.  In  his  annual  message  to 
Congress,  the  president  referred  particularly,  and  at 
great  length,  to  the  laws  regulating  duties  on  imported 
articles,  more  especially  on  woollen  and  cotton  goods  ; 
although  an  act  on  the  subject  passed  at  the  previous 
session  of  the  legislature,  was  adopted  after  mature 
deliberation,  and  was  intended  to  be  continued  in 
force  for  some  years,  and  until  the  entire  payment  of 
the  public  debt  should  be  effected.  But  that  act  had 
not  given  general  satisfaction ;  for  after  its  passage, 
the  opposition  in  South  Carolina  to  the  system  of 
high  duties  for  the  protection  of  manufactures  had 
continued,  and  assumed  an  alarming  character,  as 
already  related.  The  president  did  not,  indeed, 
recommend  a  total  repeal  of  the  law  in  consequence 
of  such  opposition,  but  he  expressed  the  opinion  and 
desire  that  some  compromise  should  be  made;  and 


516  FIRST    PRESIDENTIAL   TERM. 

the  law  so  modified  as  to  be  less  exceptionable  than 
it  was  with  its  present  provisions.  An  act  already 
referred  to  as  proposed  by  Mr.  Clay  was  accordingly 
passed  by  Congress,  before  its  adjournment  in  March 
1833,  modifying,  in  some  important  points,  the  law  of 
the  previous  session.  It  provided  for  the  gradual  re 
duction  of  the  duties  on  imports,  to  take  effect,  in 
part,  on  the  first  of  January,  1834 ;  on  the  first  of 
January,  1836;  on  the  first  of  January,  1838;  and  on 
the  first  of  January,  1840:  in  the  following  manner — 
from  all  duties,  which  exceeded  twenty  per  cent,  on 
the  value  of  the  imported  goods  or  articles,  one-tenth 
part  of  such  excess  should  be  deducted,  at  each  of  the 
said  periods ;  and  that  on  and  after  the  first  of  Jan 
uary,  1842,  one-half  of  the  residue  of  such  excess 
should  be  deducted,  and  the  other  half  on  and  after  the 
first  of  June,  1842  * 

In  his  annual  message  in  December  1832.  the 
president  recommended  the  removal  of  the  public 
money  from  the  United  States  Bank ;  but  the  com 
mittee  of  ways  and  means  in  the  House  reported  a 
resolution,  which  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  109  to  46, 
declaring  that  the  deposite,  in  the  opinion  of  the  House, 
might  be  safely  continued  in  the  Bank  of  the  United 
States. 

At  the  close  of  President  Jackson's  first  term  of 
service,  the  foreign  relations  of  the  United  States, 
with  the  exception  of  those  with  France,  were  in  a 
favourable  position.  The  first  instalment  of  the  indem 
nity  to  be  paid  according  to  the  treaty,  by  France, 

*  Bradford. 


FOREIGN    RELATIONS.  517 

was  drawn  for,  in  a  bill  of  exchange  by  the  American 
government,  but  the  French  chambers  had  not  made 
any  appropriation  to  meet  it,  and  the  bill  was  not 
accepted.  This  neglect  was  warmly  resented  by  the 
president.  Instructions  were  given  to  the  American 
minister  to  urge  upon  the  French  government  a 
prompt  compliance  with  the  treaty.  With  Russia,  a 
treaty  of  commerce  was  concluded  iu  December,  1832, 
upon  the  principles  of  reciprocity.  A  similar  treaty 
was  made  with  Belgium.  Some  claims  of  American 

o 

merchants  against  Portugal  for  illegal  captures  were 
prosecuted  to  a  successful  result,  and  an  effort  was 
made  by  the  administration  to  procure  satisfaction 
from  Spain,  for  illegal  detentions  and  captures  of 
American  property,  subsequent  to  the  treaty  of  1819  ; 
and  an  acknowledgment  of  their  justice  was  finally 
extorted  from  that  government.  A  treaty  of  com 
merce  was  concluded  with  Chili.*  The  United  States 
was  in  this  favourable  position  at  the  close  of  Jackson's 
first  term  of  service  in  March,  1833. 

*  Statesman's  Manual,  p.  1013. 


40 


CHAPTER    XIX. 
SECOND    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM. 

N  the  fourth  of  March,  1833,  General 
Jackson  assumed,  for  the  second  time, 
the  responsible  station  of  President  of 
the  United  States.  At  12  o'clock  on 
that  day,  he,  with  the  Vice  President 
elect,  attended  by  the  heads  of  de 
partments,  Senators,  Representatives,  Judges  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  foreign  ministers,  and  the  municipal 
authorities  of  the  city  of  Washington,  entered  the 
Hall  of  the  Representatives.  The  president  took  his 
seat  in  the  chair  of  the  speaker  of  the  House ;  the  vice 
president  elect,  Martin  Van  Buren,  occupying  a  seat 


INAUGURAL    ADDRESS.  519 

on  his  right,  and  his  private  secretary,  Mr.  Donelson, 
one  on  his  left.  As  soon  as  silence  was  obtained, 
and  every  one  had  taken  the  station  he  wished  to 
occupy  during  the  impressive  ceremony  which  was  to 
follow,  the  president  arose  and  delivered  his  second 
inaugural  address. 

He  commenced  by  expressing  his  gratitude  to  the 
people  of  the  United  States  for  this  renewed  expres 
sion  of  their  confidence  in  his  good  intentions,  and 
then  went  on  to  notice  the  principal  events  which 
occurred  during  his  previous  administration,  referring 
particularly  to  the  position  then  occupied  by  the 
United  States  among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  He 
said,  "  The  foreign  policy  adopted  by  our  government, 
soon  after  the  formation  of  our  present  constitution, 
and  very  generally  pursued  by  successive  administra 
tions,  has  been  crowned  with  almost  complete  success, 
and  has  elevated  our  character  among  the  nations  of 
the  earth.  To  do  justice  to  all,  and  to  submit  to 
wrong  from  none,  has  been,  during  my  administration, 
its  governing  maxim :  and  so  happy  have  been  its 
results,  that  we  are  not  only  at  peace  with  all  the 
world,  but  have  few  causes  of  controversy,  and  those 
of  minor  importance,  remaining  unadjusted. 

"  In  the  domestic  policy  of  the  government,  there 
are  two  objects  which  especially  deserve  the  attention 
of  the  people  and  their  representatives,  and  which 
have  been,  and  will  continue  to  be,  the  subjects  of  my 
unceasing  solicitude.  They  are  the  preservation  of 
the  rights  of  the  several  states,  and  the  integrity  of 
the  Union.  These  great  objects  are  necessarily  con 
nected,  and  can  only  be  attained  by  an  enlightened 


520  SECOND    PRESIDENTIAL  TERM. 

exercise  of  the  powers  of  each  within  its  appropriate 
sphere,  in  conformity  to  the  public  will,  constitutionally 
expressed.  To  this  end,  it  becomes  the  duty  of  all 
to  yield  a  ready  and  patriotic  submission  to  the  laws 
constitutionally  enacted,  and  thereby  promote  and 
strengthen  a  proper  confidence  in  those  institutions  of 
the  several  states  and  of  the  United  States,  which 
the  people  themselves  have  ordained  for  their  own 
government." 

In  conformity  with  the  obligations  of  the  oath 
which  he  was  about  to  take,  he  said,  "  I  shall  continue 
to  exert  all  my  faculties  to  maintain  the  just  powers 
of  the  constitution,  and  to  transmit  unimpaired  to  pos 
terity  the  blessings  of  our  federal  Union.  At  the  same 
time,  it  will  be  my  aim  to  inculcate,  by  my  official 
acts,  the  necessity  of  exercising,  by  the  general  go 
vernment,  those  powers  only  that  are  clearly  delega 
ted  ;  to  encourage  simplicity  and  economy  in  the  ex 
penditures  of  the  government ;  to  raise  no  more  money 
from  the  people  than  may  be  requisite  for  these  ob 
jects,  and  in  a  manner  that  will  best  promote  the  in 
terests  of  all  classes  of  the  community,  and  of  all 
portions  of  the  Union."  He  concluded  his  address, 
as  he  did  all  other  important  speeches  and  papers,  by 
praying  that  the  Creator  and  Governor  of  the  world 
would  so  overrule  all  his  intentions  and  actions,  and 
inspire  the  hearts  of  his  fellow-citizens,  that  they  may 
be  preserved  from  dangers  of  all  kinds,  and  continue 
for  ever  a  united  and  happy  people. 

The  president  pronounced  this  address  in  an 
audible,  clear,  and  firm  voice ;  and  at  its  conclusion  he 
was  greeted  with  the  cheers  and  applause  of  those 


OUTRAGE    ON    THE    PRESIDENT.  521 

present.  The  usual  oath  was  then  administered  by 
the  chief  justice  to  the  president  and  vice  president, 
after  which  they  retired,  receiving  as  they  went  the 
congratulations  of  the  assembled  multitude. 

About  two  months  afterwards,  as  the  president 
was  proceeding,  by  invitation,  to  assist  in  the  cere 
mony  of  laying  the  corner-stone  of  the  monument  to 
the  mother  of  Washington  at  Fredericksburg,  an  in 
cident  happened,  which  serves  to  illustrate  the  promp 
titude  and  decision  of  his  character.  As  the  steam 
boat  stopped  for  a  few  moments  at  the  wharf  at 
Alexandria,  several  persons  came  on  board,  as  was 
supposed,  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  president. 
Among  them  was  one  named  Randolph,  who,  seeing 
the  president  engaged  in  the  cabin,  and  in  such  a  po 
sition  between  the  table  and  the  berths  that  he  could 
not  instantly  defend  himself,  advanced,  and  thrust  his 
hand  violently  into  Jackson's  face.  Before  he  could 
repeat  the  blow  he  was  seized,  by  friend  or  foe  it  was 
impossible  to  determine  which,  and  hurried  off  the 
boat,  leaving  his  hat  behind.  In  endeavouring  to  rise 
to  repel  this  assault,  the  president  broke  down  part 
of  the  table,  and  hurt  his  own  side,  which  had  before 
been  racked  with  pain.  In  explaining  the  affair  to 
the  members  of  the  cabinet  and  others  in  the  cabin, 
Jackson  said  that  had  he  known  that  Randolph  stood 
before  him,  he  should  have  been  prepared  for  him,  and 
have  easily  defended  himself.  "  No  villain,"  said  he, 
"  has  ever  escaped  me  before ;  and  he  would  not,  had 
it  not  been  for  my  confined  situation."  A  citizen  of 
Alexandria,  then  addressing  him,  said :  "  Sir,  if  you 
will  pardon  me,  in  case  I  am  tried  and  convicted,  I 
66  40* 


522  SECOND    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM. 

will  kill  Randolph,  for  this  insult  to  you,  in  fifteen 
minutes."  The  president  wisely  and  promptly  re 
plied,  "  No  sir,  I  cannot  do  that.  I  want  no  man  to 
stand  between  me  and  my  assailants,  and  none  to  take 
revenge  on  my  account.  Had  I  been  prepared  for 
this  cowardly  villain's  approach,  I  can  assure  you 
all,  that  he  would  never  have  the  temerity  to  under 
take  such  a  thing  again."* 

The  gloom  occasioned  by  this  outrage  was  not  dis 
pelled  until  the  steamboat  stopped  opposite  to  Mount 
Vernon,  and  three  ladies,  descendants  of  Washington, 
and  residents  of  Mount  Vernon,  came  on  board,  and 
each  of  them  presented  to  the  president  a  bunch 
of  flowers  culled  from  the  garden  planted  by  the  hands 
of  the  Father  of  his  country.  After  assisting  in  laying 
the  corner-stone  of  the  monument,  Jackson  returned 
to  Washington,  whence  every  cause  of  dissension  and 
disturbance  seemed  to  have  been  banished ;  and  the 
second  term  of  his  magistracy  bid  fair  to  be  as  quiet 
and  calm  as  the  first  had  been  stormy  and  turbulent. 
This  apparent  calm  was  destined  to  be  but  of  short 
duration ;  for  in  September,  a  new  subject  of  excite 
ment  was  introduced  into  politics,  which  continued  to 
agitate  the  public  mind  until  near  the  close  of  Jack 
son's  administration. 

On  the  6th  of  June,  1833,  the  president  started 
from  Washington  to  visit  the  northern  and  eastern 
portion  of  the  Union.  He  passed  through  Baltimore, 
Delaware  and  New  Castle,  and  arrived  at  Philadelphia 
on  the  8th  of  June.  Throughout  the  whole  route, 

*  New  York  Mirror. 


JACKSON'S    TOUR.  523 

at  every  town,  village,  and  city,  he  was  welcomed  with 
lively  demonstrations  of  respect.  Landing  at  the 
Philadelphia  Navy  Yard,  on  Saturday  afternoon, 
at  five  o'clock,  he  was  welcomed  with  a  national 
salute,  and  greeted  with  the  cheers  of  an  immense 
multitude  who  were  assembled  at  every  point  from 
which  a  sight  of  him  might  be  had.  His  whole  course 
from  the  Navy  Yard  to  the  hotel,  was  lined  with  citi 
zens  of  both  sexes,  who  vied  with  each  other  in  ren 
dering  honour  to  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  Union. 

"  The  public  reception  of  the  president  at  Philadel 
phia,  took  place  on  Monday.  At  an  early  hour  the 
city  was  alive  with  the  bustle  of  extensive  preparation, 
and  the  streets  through  which  the  procession  was  to 
pass  grew  very  populous  as  he  approached.  From 
nine  until  twelve  o'clock,  the  president  remained  at 
the  State  House  to  receive  the  compliments  of  his  fel 
low-citizens.  At  the  latter  hour  he  proceeded  on 
horseback  to  Arch  street,  where  he  reviewed  the  mili 
tary.  The  president  was  dressed  in  a  suit  of  deep 
black,  and  passed  along  a  great  portion  of  the  route 
with  his  hat  off.  The  appearance  of  the  military, 
who  assembled  in  great  numbers,  was  imposing  and 
effective.  Towards  five  o'clock  the  procession 
reached  the  City  Hotel,  and  the  president  alighted, 
evidently  gratified  with  a  reception  at  once  so  re 
spectful  and  so  general."* 

Leaving  Philadelphia,  the  president  next  visited 
Burlington,  Bristol,  Bordentown,  Lamberton,  Tren 
ton,  Princeton,  New  Brunswick,  Amboy,  New  York, 

*  Lincoln's  Lives  of  the  Presidents. 


524  SECOND    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM. 

New  Haven,  Newport,  Providence,  Dedham,  Roxbury* 
Boston,  Cambridge,  Charlestown,  Lynn,  Salem,  Mar- 
blehead,  Andover,  and  Lowell.  The  reception  which 
he  met  with  at  each  of  these  places,  varied  only  with 
the  number  of  inhabitants,  or  its  wealth  and  impor 
tance.  At  Cambridge  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws 
was  conferred  on  him  by  the  president  of  Harvard 
University. 

Having  reached  Lowell  on  the  27th  of  June,  he 
continued  his  route  to  Concord,  N.  H. ;  but  there 
finding  that  his  strength  would  not  permit  him  to  pro 
ceed  any  farther,  though  he  had  intended  to  visit 
Portland,  he  was  under  the  necessity  of  giving  up  the 
journey,  and  returning  to  Washington. 

It  was  soon  after  this  northern  tour  that  some 
changes  were  made  in  the  cabinet.  Louis  M'Lane, 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  resigned,  and  Edward 
Livingston  being  appointed  Minister  to  France,  Mr. 
M'Lane  was  transferred  to  the  State  department,  and 
William  J.  Duane,  of  Pennsylvania,  was  appointed 
his  successor. 

The  law  of  1816,  which  created  the  United  States 
Bank,  required  that  the  public  moneys  should  be  de 
posited  in  that  bank,  subject  to  be  removed  only  by 
the  secretary  of  the  treasury ;  and  requiring  him,  in 
that  case,  to  lay  his  reasons  for  removing  them  before 
Congress.  Congress  had  already  refused  to  author 
ize  the  removal  of  the  deposites,  and  the  president  was 
now  determined  to  effect  it  on  his  own  responsibility. 

The  new  secretary  of  the  treasury  refusing  to 
act  in  this  matter,  and  resigning  his  office,  the 
attorney-general,  Roger  B.  Taney,  was  appointed  in 


EXPUNGING    RESOLUTIONS.  525 

his  place.  The  vacancy  in  the  cabinet  was  filled  by 
the  appointment  of  Benjamin  F.  Butler,  of  New  York, 
as  Attorney-General.  Mr.  Taney  immediately  issued 
the  necessary  orders  for  the  removal  of  the  de- 
posites  from  the  United  States  Bank;  a  measure 
which  resulted  from  the  president's  determination  to 
dissolve  all  connexion  between  the  government  and 
the  bank. 

The  first  session  of  the  twenty-third  Congress 
commenced  on  the  2d  day  of  December,  1833,  and 
continued  to  June  30th,  1834.  One  of  the  first  acts 
of  the  Senate  was  the  adoption  of  a  resolution,  by  a 
vote  of  26  to  20,  declaring  "  that  the  president,  in  the 
late  executive  proceedings  in  relation  to  the  public 
revenue,  had  assumed  upon  himself  authority  and 
power  not  conferred  by  the  constitution  and  laws,  but 
in  derogation  of  both."  This  resolution  remained  on 
the  journal  until  January  16th,  1837,  when  it  was 
expunged  by  order  of  the  Senate.  The  Senate  next 
rejected  the  nomination  of  Roger  B.  Taney,  as  Sec 
retary  of  the  Treasury,  and  confirmed  that  of  Levi 
Woodbury,  appointed  in  his  stead.  Before  the  close 
of  the  session,  Mr.  M'Lane  having  resigned  the  of 
fice  of  Secretary  of  State,  John  Forsyth,  of  Georgia, 
was  appointed  to  succeed  him,  and  Mahlon  Dickerson 
of  New  Jersey,  was  appointed  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
in  the  place  of  Mr.  Woodbury. 

The  measures  taken  by  the  United  States  Bank,  in 
consequence  of  the  removal  of  the  deposites,  occasioned 
much  embarrassment  throughout  the  mercantile  com 
munity,  during  the  years  1834  and  1835.  Commit 
tees  appointed  by  the  merchants,  mechanics,  and 


526  SECOND    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM. 

tradesmen  of  the  principal  commercial  cities  solicited 
the  president  to  replace  the  government  deposites  in 
the  United  States  Bank.  But  the  removal  of  the 
deposites  having  been  dictated  by  his  sense  of  public 
duty,  it  was  found  impossible  to  change  his  resolution. 
He  was  equally  insensible  to  menace  or  entreaty, 
Many  petitions  were  sent  to  Congress  on  the  same 
subject.  They  were  favourably  received  in  the  Senate ; 
but  the  House  of  Representatives  sustaining  the 
president,  they  met  with  but  little  favour  there.* 

The  twenty-third  Congress  convened  for  the  second 
time,  on  the  1st  of  December,  1834,  and  continued  in 
session  until  the  3d  of  March,  1835.  In  his  sixth 
annual  message,  the  president  represented  the  state  of 
the  country  as  highly  prosperous,  arid  its  future  pros 
pects  in  the  highest  degree  flattering  to  every  patri 
otic  citizen.  The  state  of  the  treasury  at  the  close 
of  the  year  he  summed  up  as  follows :  "  After  satisfy 
ing  every  appropriation,  and  discharging  the  last  item 
of  our  public  debt,  which  will  be  done  on  the  1st  of 
January  next  (one  month  after  the  delivery  of  the 
message),  there  will  remain  unexpended  in  the  treasury, 
an  effective  balance  of  about  four  hundred  and  forty 
thousand  dollars."  He  also  called  the  attention  of 
Congress  to  the  delay  of  France  in  paying  the  first 
instalment  of  the  indemnity  which  that  nation  had 
agreed  to  pay  to  the  United  States,  for  spoliations  on 
American  commerce  ;  and  recommended  the  passage 
of  a  law  authorizing  reprisals  upon  French  property, 
in  case  provision  should  not  be  made  for  the  payment 

*  Statesman's  Manual,  p.  1017. 


FRENCH  INDEMNITY.  527 

of  the  debt  at  the  session  of  the  French  Chambers 
which  was  to  be  convened  on  the  29th  of  December. 
The  president,  in  a  special  message  on  the  25th  of 
February,  1835,  informed  the  Congress  that  he  had 
deemed  it  his  duty  to  instruct  Mr.  Livingston  to  quit 
France,  with  his  legation,  and  return  to  the  United 
States,  if  an  appropriation  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  con 
vention  should  be  refused  by  the  Chambers.  The 
French  king  was  disposed  to  construe  the  threat  of 
Jackson  to  issue  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal,  in  case 
of  longer  delay,  into  an  insult,  and  it  was  intimated 
that  an  apology  would  be  indispensable.  To  this  the 
old  hero  replied,  with  characteristic  emphasis :  "  The 
honour  of  my  country  shall  never  be  stained  by  an  apo 
logy  from  me  for  the  statement  of  truth  and  the  perform 
ance  of  duty."  The  French  minister  at  Washington 
had  asked  and  received  his  passports-— a  war  seemed 
to  be  near  at  hand,  if  not  already  determined  upon — 
when  all  at  once,  and  unexpectedly,  the  money  was 
paid  to  the  uttermost  farthing,  diplomatic  courtesies 
restored,  and  peaceable  relations  re-established.*  It 
was  during  this  dispute  with  France,  that  an  eloquent 
opponent  of  Jackson's  administration  said  on  the  floor 
of  Congress— •"  Sir,  if  the  president  will  so  temper  his 
policy  as  to  carry  this  country  honourably  through  the 
controversy  without  a  war,  he  will  draw  upon  his  head 
the  blessings  of  men  whose  voices  have  never  mingled 
with  the  incense  of  his  flatterers ;  and  his  name,  in  the 
eyes  of  all  mankind,  will  appear  fairer  and  brighter  than 
when  he  came  out  of  the  blazing  lines  of  New  Orleans, 

*  Harris. 


528  SECOND   PRESIDENTIAL   TERM. 

in  all  the  freshness  of  his  victory  and  its  honours." 
The  war  was  averted,  and  the  honour  of  the  country 
was  preserved  without  a  stain  or  a  spot  on  its  shield ; 
and  the  hope  and  prediction  of  eloquence  were  both 
realized  together.  The  most  chivalrous  of  nations 
retired  from  her  position.  The  irresistible  policy  of 
justice  averted  all  peril  from  the  Union,  and  added 
new  titles  of  renown  to  the  fame  of  its  venerable  chief; 
and  the  blessings  of  the  generation  who  w  itnessed  the 
bravery  of  his  resolution,  and  of  the  generation  who 
mourn  his  death,  have  flowed,  and  will  flow,  continually 
in  an  unbroken  stream  upon  his  head.* 

On  the  30th  of  January,  1835,  an  attempt  was 
made  to  take  the  life  of  the  president,  under  the  fol 
lowing  circumstances.  One  of  the  representatives 
from  South  Carolina,  Warren  R.  Davis,  having  died 
at  the  capital,  the  honour  of  a  public  funeral  was  de 
creed  to  him.  Accordingly,  the  president,  heads  of 
departments,  and  the  members  of  both  houses  of  Con 
gress  assembled  in  the  rotunda  of  the  capitol,  where 
a  funeral  sermon  was  preached,  preparatory  to  the 
procession,  and  consignment  of  the  body  to  the  dust. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  sermon,  the  president,  with 
the  secretary  of  the  treasury  on  his  left  arm,  was  re 
tiring  from  the  rotunda  to  reach  his  carriage  at  the 
steps  of  the  portico,  when  he  was  fired  at,  from  behind 
one  of  the  columns  of  the  portico,  at  a  distance  of  less 
than  eight  feet.  The  percussion  cap  exploded  with 
such  a  noise,  that  several  persons  supposed  that  the 
pistol  had  been  discharged.  It  was  not  so,  however. 

*Merrick. 


AT'iEMPT    ON    THE    PRESIDENT'S    LIFE.     529 


Attempt  on  General  Jackson's  life. 

The  assassin  immediately  dropped  the  pistol  from  his 
right  hand,  and,  taking  another,  ready  cocked,  from 
his  left,  presented  and  snapped  it  at  the  president,  who, 
at  the  moment  of  the  first  attempt,  had  raised  his 
cane,  and  was  rushing  upon  him,  when  his  second 
attempt  failing,  he  ran  to  make  his  escape  through  the 
crowd.  The  president  pressed  after  him  with  his  up 
lifted  cane  until  he  saw  him  secured.  When  the  load 
was  drawn  from  one  of  the  pistols,  it  was  found  to 
contain  a  ball,  of  which  about  sixty  would  make  a 
pound.  It  was  well  patched,  and  forced  down  tight, 
on  a  full  charge  of  excellent  glazed  powder.  How  the 
caps  could  have  exploded  without  firing  the  powder, 
may  be  considered  wonderful.  Providence  has  ever 
guarded  the  life  of  the  man  who  was  destined  to  raise 
67  41 


530  SECOND    PRESIDENTIAL    TERM, 

and  preserve  his  country's  glory.  The  assassin  con 
fessed  his  intention  to  take  the  life  of  General  Jackson, 
denied  that  he  had  any  accomplices,  and  was  suffered  to 
escape  punishment  on  the  ground  of  apparent  insanity. 
It  is  considered  very  doubtful,  however,  whether  the 
man  was  really  insane. 

In  May,  William  T.  Barry  was  appointed  Minister 
to  Spain,  and  Amos  Kendall  Postmaster-General,  in 
his  place.  The  appointment  of  Mr.  Kendall  was  not 
confirmed  until  1836. 

The  first  session  of  the  twenty-fourth  Congress 
commenced  on  the  7th  of  December,  1835,  and  con 
tinued  until  the  4th  of  July,  1836.  The  president's 
seventh  annual  message  represented  the  country  in  a 
flourishing  condition,  the  public  debt  extinguished,  and 
a  large  surplus  in  the  treasury. 

The  principal  acts  passed  at  this  session  of  Con 
gress  were — the  distribution  act,  providing  that  the 
money  which  should  be  remaining  in  the  treasury  on 
the  1st  day  of  January,  1837,  reserving  the  sum  of 
five  millions  of  dollars,  should  be  distributed  among 
such  of  the  states,  in  proportion  to  their  respective 
numbers,  as  should  by  law  accept  of  the  same,  the 
distribution  to  be  made  quarterly,  commencing  on  the 
1st  of  January,  1837;  an  act  relating  to  patents, 
repealing  all  previous  acts  on  the  same  subject;  an 
act  admitting  Michigan  into  the  Union,  on  certain 
conditions,  which  were  accepted  in  the  following  year ; 
an  act  admitting  the  state  of  Arkansas  into  the 
Union;  and  an  act  making  appropriations  for  con 
tinuing  the  Cumberland  Road,  and  the  improvement 
of  certain  harbours  and  rivers.  The  president  vetoed 


THE    SPECIE    CIRCULAR.  53J 

an  act  fixing  the  day  of  meeting  and  adjournment  of 
Congress. 

The  Senate  confirmed  the  president's  nomination 
of  Roger  B.  Taney,  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  in  place  of  Chief  Justice  Marshall,  deceased; 
and  of  John  H.  Eaton,  Minister  to  Spain,  in  place  of 
Mr.  Barry,  deceased. 

After  the  adjournment  of  Congress,  the  secretary 
of  the  treasury  issued  a  circular  by  order  of  the 
president,  directing  the  receivers  of  public  moneys 
to  receive  nothing  but  gold  and  silver  in  payment 
for  public  lands,  except  Virginia  land  scrip  in  certain 
cases.  The  immediate  effect  of  this  circular  was  to 
divert  the  specie  of  the  country  from  its  ordinary 
course,  and  to  embarrass  commercial  operations.  It 
accomplished  the  president's  purpose  of  checking 
speculation  in  the  public  lands,  and  in  this  way  proved 
highly  salutary;  but  as  considerable  inconvenience 
and  loss  to  individuals  were  occasioned  by  it  on  its 
first  promulgation,  complaints  were  proportionally  loud 
against  the  measure. 

The  second  session  of  the  24th  Congress  com 
menced  on  the  5th  of  December,  1836,  and  continued 
until  the  3d  of  March,  1837.  It  was  at  this  session 
that  the  celebrated  expunging  resolution,  introduced 
by  Mr.  Benton,  was  passed,  by  which  the  censure  of 
the  Senate  on  the  course  pursued  by  the  president  in 
the  removal  of  the  deposites  from  the  United  States 
Bank,  was  expunged  from  the  journal.  This  was 
done  by  drawing  black  lines  around  the  resolution, 
and  writing  in  strong  characters  across  it,  "Ex- 


532  SECOND    PRESIDENTIAL  TERM. 

punged,  by  order  of  the   Senate,  this   16th   day  of 
January,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1837." 

In  his  last  annual  message,  the  president  informed 
Congress  that  the  claims  of  the  United  States  upon 
Mexico  had  not  been  adjusted,  and  in  a  special  mes 
sage,  dated  February  6th,  1837,  in  relation  to  the 
same  subject,  he  said: — "The  length  of  time  since 
some  of  the  injuries  (complained  of)  have  been  com 
mitted,  the  repeated  and  unavailing  applications  for 
redress,  the  wanton  character  of  some  of  the  out 
rages  upon  the  property  and  persons  of  our  citizens, 
upon  the  officers  and  flag  of  the  United  States,  inde 
pendent  of  recent  insults  to  this  government  and  peo 
ple  by  the  late  extraordinary  Mexican  minister,  would 
justify,  in  the  eyes  of  all  nations,  immediate  war. 
That  remedy,  however,  should  not  be  used,  by  just 
and  generous  nations  confiding  in  their  strength,  for 
injuries  committed,  if  it  can  be  honourably  avoided ; 
and  it  has  occurred  to  me  that,  considering  the  pres 
ent  embarrassed  condition  of  that  country,  we  should 
act  with  both  wisdom  and  moderation,  by  giving  to 
Mexico  one  more  opportunity  to  atone  for  the  past, 
before  we  take  redress  into  our  own  hands.  To 
avoid  all  misconception  on  the  part  of  Mexico,  as 
well  as  protect  our  own  national  character  from  re 
proach,  this  opportunity  should  be  given  with  the 
avowed  design  and  full  preparation  to  take  immediate 
satisfaction,  if  it  should  not  be  obtained  on  a  repe 
tition  of  the  demand  for  it.  To  this  end  I  recommend 
that  an  act  be  passed,  authorizing  reprisals,  and  the 
use  of  the  naval  force  of  the  United  States  by  the 
executive  against  Mexico  to  enforce  them,  in  the  event 


ELECTION    OF   MR.  VAN   BUREN.  533 

of  a  refusal  by  the  Mexican  government  to  come  to 
an  amicable  adjustment  of  the  matters  in  controversy 
between  us,  upon  another  demand  thereof  made  from 
on  board  one  of  our  vessels  of  war  on  the  coast  of 
Mexico." 

An  act  was  passed  by  Congress  at  this  session, 
relating  to  the  treasury  circular,  providing  for  the 
reception  of  the  notes  of  specie-paying  banks,  in  some 
cases,  by  the  receivers  of  public  moneys,  and  it  was 
sent  to  the  president  for  his  approval  on  the  after 
noon  of  the  2d  of  March.  He  prevented  it  from  be 
coming  a  law  by  retaining  it  in  his  hands  until  after 
the  adjournment  of  Congress  the  next  day,  and  this 
informal  but  resolute  veto  was  the  last  act  of  Presi 
dent  Jackson's  administration.  He  published  his 
reasons  for  retaining  it,  in  a  paper  dated  "Wash 
ington,  March  3d,  1837,  1-4  before  12  P.  M."  His 
principal  reasons  were  want  of  time  properly  to  con 
sider  it,  and  the  complexity  and  uncertainty  of  its 
provisions. 

The  election  held  in  the  autumn  of  1836  for  Presi 
dent  and  Vice  President,  resulted  as  follows : 

For  President,  Martin  Van  Buren  received  170 
votes,  William  H.  Harrison  73,  Hugh  L.  White  26, 
Daniel  Webster  14,  Willie  P.  Mangum  11;  giving 
Van  Buren  a  majority  of  46  votes. 

For  Vice  President,  Richard  M.  Johnson  received 
147  votes,  Francis  Granger  77,  John  Tyler  47,  Wil 
liam  Smith  23. 

The  votes  were  counted  in  Congress  in  February, 
1837,  and  Martin  Van  Buren  was  declared  duly 
elected  president.  No  person  having  a  majority  of 
41* 


534  SECOND   PRESIDENTIAL   TERM. 

electoral  votes  for  the  office  of  vice  president,  the 
choice  devolved  upon  the  Senate,  who,  at  the  first 
ballot,  elected  Richard  M.  Johnson,  by  a  vote  of  33 
to  16. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1837,  President  Jackson  pub 
lished  his  farewell  address  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  on  his  retirement  to  private  life.  This  paper 
is  second  only  to  that  of  General  Washington,  and 
its  great  length  alone  prevents  us  from  giving  it  en 
tire.  To  attempt  a  synopsis  or  condensation  of  it, 
would  be  presumptuous  and  useless. 

General  Jackson  remained  at  Washington  to  wit 
ness  the  inauguration  of  his  friend  and  successor,  Mr. 
Van  Buren,  when  he  finally  retired  to  the  Hermitage, 
determined  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  active  and 
useful  life  in  retirement. 

The  events  of  the  administration  of  President  Jack 
son  have  been  so  recent,  some  of  them  not  having  yet 
been  fully  developed,  (as,  for  instance,  his  course  in 
relation  to  Mexico,)  and  their  character  and  tendency 
are  so  much  involved  in  the  partisan  discussions  of 
the  present  day,  that  historical  comment  on  them  is 
premature.  The  policy  of  an  administration  can  only 
be  tried  by  its  effects;  and  the  effects,  great  and  per 
manent,  flowing  from  the  efforts  of  Jackson,  are  not 
yet  fully  known.  Public  opinion,  with  respect  to 
some  of  his  principal  acts,  even  those  most  condemned 
at  the  time  of  their  occurrence,  is  rapidly  undergoing 
a  great  change,  and  it  is  yet  impossible  to  judge  cor 
rectly  of  the  ultimate  effects  of  his  labours. 


carriage  in  crowds. 


CHAPTER    XX. 
LAST    DAYS    OF    JACKSON. 

FTER  the  inauguration  of  Mr. 
Van  Buren,  General  Jackson 
immediately  left  the  seat  of  go 
vernment,  to  proceed  to  the 
Hermitage.  As  he  rode  from 
the  President's  House  to  the  car 
office,  the  population  of  the  city, 
and  the  masses  who  had  gath 
ered  from  around,  followed  his 

All  in  silence  stood  near  him,  to 


536  LAST    DAYS    OF   JACKSON. 

bid  him  adieu ;  and  as  the  cars  started,  and  he  dis 
played  his  gray  hairs,  on  lifting  his  hat  in  token  of 
farewell,  they  stood  with  their  heads  uncovered,  too 
full  of  emotion  to  speak,  in  solemn  silence  gazing  on 
him  as  he  departed,  never  more  to  be  seen  in  their 
midst.418 

With  a  popularity  surpassed  only  by  that  which 
was  carried  to  Mount  Vernon  by  the  Father  of  his 
country,  he  returned  to  the  Hermitage,  at  the  age  of 
three  score  and  ten — ripe  with  honours  and  laden  with 
the  blessings  of  his  countrymen. 

His  last  eight  years,  though  passed  in  retirement, 
are,  perhaps,  more  interesting  in  many  respects  than 
those  wThich  precede  them — but,  in  almost  every  in 
cident  of  his  life  since  the  maturity  of  his  manhood, 
we  behold  a  text  wherefrom  may  be  illustrated  a  most 
exemplary  specimen  of  human  character. 

The  mighty  power  of  his  opinions  upon  important 
public  questions,  in  the  evening  of  his  life,  while  quietly 
reposing  at  the  Hermitage,  far  away  from  the  seat  of 
government,  is  the  crowning  evidence  of  his  goodness 
and  greatness.  His  late  letters  and  earlier  state  papers 
will  always  stand  forth  as  landmarks  to  the  paths  of 
honour  and  safety,  equal,  if  not  superior,  in  their  pro 
minence  to  those  of  Jefferson.  They  will  be  con 
sulted  as  the  oracles  of  political  faith ;  and  for  ages 
and  ages  after  the  hand  that  traced  them  has  crumbled 
to  its  native  dust,  their  vigour  and  their  freshness  will 
be  unimpaired. 

Andrew  Jackson  never  occupied  a  doubtful  position 
upon  any  question.  A  decided  and  substantive  char- 

*  Bancroft. 


CHARACTER    OF    JACKSON.  537 

acter,  his  friends  and  his  enemies  always  knew  where 
to  find  him.  If  his  countrymen  sought  his  opinion, 
they  had  it  in  plain  terms,  few  words.  It  was  re 
ceived  as  that  of  a  true  patriot,  having  had  great 
experience,  one  whom  they  had  known  long  and 
watched  closely,  and  one  whom  they  regarded  as 
being  more  replete  with  "  sober  second  thought,  never 
wrong,  and  always  efficient,"  than  any  man  living. 
If  they  were  bewildered  with  doubt ;  if  the  turmoil  of 
party  collisions  aroused  their  apprehensions  for  the 
safety  of  the  republic,  his  abiding  confidence  in  the 
virtue  and  intelligence  of  his  countrymen  was  received 
as  "  the  inspiration  of  his  instinctive  wisdom,"  which 
has  been  likened  to  "  prophecy." 

It  is  not  wonderful  that  such  a  man  should  have 
had  such  an  influence  with  such  a  people.  Gradually 
rising  from  the  humbler  walks  of  life  to  the  most  exalted 
stations  on  earth,  he  knew  the  wants,  feelings,  and 
sympathies  of  all  classes,  all  conditions ;  and  his  coun 
trymen  were  to  him  as  the  equal  members  of  the  same 
great  family  associated  for  their  common  benefit. 
Hence,  his  influence  upon  public  opinion  was  neces 
sarily  great ;  and  if  he  used  it  in  accordance  with  his 
solid  judgment,  who  shall  have  the  temerity  to  say  he 
was  a  dictator  ?  In  the  heat  of  partisan  excitement, 
the  charge  has  often  been  preferred ;  but  thanks  to  the 
just  and  discriminating  spirit  of  our  fellow-citizens,  it 
has  been  as  often  refuted  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
world.  The  dictator  holds  to  principles  adverse  to 
those  of  his  people,  and  enforces  obedience.  Jack 
son's  principles  were  those  which  the  popular  interests 
reflected,  and  with  which  his  own  interests,  as  a  citi- 
68 


538  LAST    DAYS    OF    JACKSON. 

zen,  were  identified  in  every  respect.  Instead  of 
compelling  the  masses  of  the  people  to  coincide  with 
him,  he  foresaw  their  inclination,  and  coincided  with 
them  as  their  champion. 

No  man  was  ever  further  from  a  desire  to  control 
the  volitions  of  his  countrymen  against  their  will — 
no  one  was  ever  less  obnoxious  to  the  charge,  of  dicta 
tion.  It  was  but  a  few  days  before  his  death,  that  a 
citizen  called  upon  him  for  his  signature  to  a  petition 
for  an  office,  when  he  replied :  *'  No,  no,  I  cannot  do 
it ;  for  they  will  say  I  am  dictating  to  the  president." 

Within  the  last  few  years,  his  opinions,  on  all  great 
questions  dividing  public  sentiment,  have  been  sought 
with  avidity.  When  he  spoke  by  letter,  his  voice  was 
heard  to  the  remotest  parts  of  the  republic,  and  not 
unfrequently  throughout  the  civilized  world.  Nor  can 
the  fact  be  disguised  that  his  letters  on  the  annexation 
of  Texas  to  our  territory,  constituted  the  great  and 
powerful  lever  by  which  that  glorious  measure  was 
launched  upon  the  tide  of  success.  They  excited  the 
jealousy  of  England,  if  not  the  envy  of  the  entire  Holy 
Alliance ;  but  they  revived  and  strengthened  the  wa 
ning  hopes  of  Texas,  and  made  glad  the  hearts  of  its 
people. 

A  distinguished  Texan  says,  that  at  a  moment 
when  his  country  had  almost  despaired  of  establishing 
a  reunion,  when  they  were  going  deeper  and  deeper 
into  debt  to  maintain  the  necessary  defences  of  their 
frontier,  and  were  nearly  driven  to  entertain  propo 
sitions  for  protective  alliances  with  other  nations, 
General  Jackson  was  writing  to  his  own  countrymen 
that  it  was  "  the  golden  moment"  for  annexation,  and 


CHARACTER    OF    JACKSON.  639 

exhorting  his  friends  in  Texas  to  take  courage,  for 
the  time  would  come,  and  that  speedily,  when  the 
American  people  would  demand  annexation  at  the 
hands  of  their  government. 

The  time  came.  He  lived  to  hear  the  demand 
which  he  had  previously  predicted.  The  work  is 
done — and  although  the  venerable  patriot  did  not  last 
until  its  consummation,  yet,  thanks  to  an  indulgent 
Providence,  he  was  spared  long  enough  to  see  the 
end  with  certainty,  and  to  exclaim,  as  he  did  in  one 
of  his  last  letters—"  ALL  IS  SAFE!"* 

During  the  earnest  canvass  which  terminated  in 
the  election  of  Mr.  Polk,  General  Jackson  took  a 
lively  interest  in  the  progress  of  affairs,  and  frequently 
expressed  his  approbation  of  the  policy  of  annexing 
Texas,  which  formed  one  of  the  test  questions  upon 
which  that  election  turned. 

No  man  could  maintain  this  position  in  either  of 
the  two  great  parties,  without  being  a  man  of  com 
manding  intellect.  Men  bow  not  down  to  their  in 
feriors  in  mind ;  and  yet,  long  after  Jackson  had 
retired  from  political  life,  in  every  emergency,  and  in 
every  trial,  all  eyes  ever  turned  to  the  Hermitage,  and 
every  ear  listened  with  veneration  and  respect  to  the 
words  of  wisdom,  of  counsel,  and  of  warning,  ad 
dressed  to  his  countrymen;  and  even  now,  in  the 
estimation  of  mankind,  as  a  sage  he  holds  a  place, 
second  to  none,  not  even  unto  him  of  Monticello.t 

But  he  who  had  occupied  so  important  a  page  in 
his  country's  history,  who  had  possessed  a  popularity 

*  Irvin.  j-  Harris. 


540 


LAST    DAYS    OF   JACKSON. 


James  K.  Polk. 


and  influence  exceeded  only  by  Washington,  who  had 
filled  every  high  station  of  dignity  and  trust  which  his 
country  could  confer,  both  civil  and  military,  became, 
when  in  the  domestic  circle  and  around  the  social 
hearth,  as  simple  as  a  child,  distinguished  by  the 
suavity  of  his  deportment  and  an  intuitive  felicity  of 
making  every  one  around  him  happy.  Such  was 
Andrew  Jackson,  in  private  life ;  and  it  is  there  that 
true  greatness  waits  to  be  exhibited.  In  the  world 
men  rise  superior  to  each  other,  but  it  is  here  that 


CHA'RACTER    OF    JACKSON.  541 

man  rises  superior  to  himself.  The  region  of  politics, 
at  best,  is  baneful ;  and  too  often  "  the  soil  the  vices 
like." 

In  his  private  attachments,  he  was  governed  by 
the  same  steadiness  that  sustained  his  public  conduct. 
His  friendships  were,  therefore,  sincere  and  fixed.  If 
he  loved  you  to-day,  he  would  love  you  still  more  to 
morrow,  the  next  day,  and  for  ever,  provided  you  did 
nothing  to  forfeit  his  regard  and  good  opinion.  Al 
though,  in  a  character  marked  by  such  strength  of 
features,  the  lineaments  of  the  softer  virtues  could 
scarcely  be  expected  to  mix,  yet  those  who  knew  him 
best  in  private  life,  and  in  the  unbendings  of  retire 
ment,  knew  the  genuine  indications  of  their  existence, 
and  the  childlike  simplicity  and  tenderness  of  his 
nature.* 

But  weighty  and  instant  as  are  the  duties  of  a 
citizen  to  his  country,  and  of  a  patriarch  to  his  family, 
Andrew  Jackson  remembered  that  he  owed  to  his 
Maker  a  higher  and  more  solemn  responsibility.  This 
sentiment  had  been  implanted  in  his  youthful  breast 
by  a  mother's  lessons  and  a  mother's  love.  It  had 
been  nourished  by  the  example  of  a  wife — one  of  the 
excellent  of  the  earth;  by  providential  deliverances 
and  favours ;  by  the  perusal  of  the  Book  of  God,  and 
by  the  instructions  of  the  pulpit.  As  in  earlier  life 
he  was  the  brave  and  dauntless  soldier  in  defence  of 
his  country's  rights,  so  he  became  the  brave  and 
dauntless  soldier  of  the  cross.  From  his  childhood 
he  had  revered  Christianity,  and  after  dwelt  with 

*  Stevenson. 
42 


542  LAST    DAYS    OF    JACKSON. 

grateful  emotions  on  the  tender  and  prayerful  solici 
tude  of  his  pious  mother,  during  his  boyhood,  for  his 
spiritual  welfare.  And  even  in  the  turbulent  and 
boisterous  periods  of  his  career,  when  all  his  ener 
gies  were  concentrated  in  the  conduct  of  sanguinary 
British  and  Indian  wars,  although  vehement  and 
impetuous  of  spirit,  the  purest  religious  feelings  ani 
mated  his  heart  and  shaped  his  inclinations.  There 
is  not  in  our  language  a  more  beautiful  form  of  prayer 
and  thanksgiving  than  is  contained  in  a  portion  of  his 
congratulatory  and  farewell  address  to  his  soldiers  at 
New  Orleans,  after  the  battle  of  the  eighth — meekly 
giving  all  the  glory  of  the  victory  to  the  God  of 
battles,  in  whom  he  had  put  his  trust.  I  have  heard 
an  old  warrior  against  the  Indians  say,  that  on  the 
eve  of  one  of  the  most  deadly  conflicts  in  the  Creek 
nation,  when  they  were  on  watch  for  the  enemy, 
whom  they  knew  to  be  near,  and  when  an  order  had 
been  given  that  there  should  be  no  unnecessary  noise 
in  camp,  one  of  the  guard  approached  the  general 
and  complained  that  a  soldier  was  praying  unneces 
sarily  loud.  "God  forbid,"  said  he,  that  "praying 
should  be  considered  an  unnecessary  noise  in  my 
camp."  These  feelings  ripened  with  age  into  a  firmly 
settled  conviction  and  conversion ;  and  for  the  last 
eight  years  of  his  life,  he  who  had  led  and  directed 
his  countrymen  on  so  many  well  fought  fields,  who 
had  humbled  the  proud  British  lion  upon  our  south 
western  shore,  and  sent  him  howling  home  to  his  sea 
girt  den — who  had  wrung  the  unwilling  acknowledg 
ment  of  our  country's  rights  from  the  crowned  heads 
of  Europe  might  be  seen  upon  the  Sabbath,  when 


CHARACTER    OF    JACKSON.  543 

his  health  would  permit,  bowing  with  his  neighbour 
hood  circle  in  deep  humility  and  humble  adoration 
before  the  little'  altar  which  he  had  caused  to  be 
placed  a  short  distance  from  his  house,  devotedly  and 
sincerely  partaking  of  the  sacred  emblems  of  faith. 
I  witnessed  this — but  I  witnessed  no  richly  embroi 
dered  carpets  on  which  to  kneel — no  gorgeous  purples 
in  which  to  robe  the  chief — no  pomp — no  parade — 
no  insignia  of  superiority  or  power,  like  those  which 
glitter  within  the  royal  chapels  of  princesses  and  po 
tentates.  All  was  plainness,  simplicity,  piety,  Chris 
tian  purity.  He  fostered  that  little  church  with  a 
father's  solicitude  and  protection ;  and  one  of  his  last 
wishes  was  that  it  might  be  sustained  for  ever.* 

He  was  a  Christian,  as  he  was  everything  else, 
decidedly  and  wholly.  No  important  interest  of 
Christianity  seems  to  have  been  overlooked  by  him. 
The  Bible,  the  Sabbath,  and  the  Sunday  School,  all 
received  the  hearty  approval  and  commendation  of 
Andrew  Jackson.  Of  the  word  of  God,  he  said : — 
"  The  Bible  is  true.  Upon  that  sacred  volume,  I  rest 
my  hope  of  eternal  salvation,  through  the  merits  and 
blood  of  our  blessed  Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ." 
His  old  Bible,  thumbed  and  worn  by  constant  use,  he 
held  up  in  his  right  hand,  and  said  to  Doctor  Edgar : 
"  This  book,  sir,  is  the  bulwark  of  our  republican 
institutions,  the  anchor  of  our  present  and  future 
safety."  Remember  the  sentiment,  American  Repub 
licans  :  I  will  repeat  it.  It  is  a  voice  that  comes  to 
us  on  the  wings  of  the  sighing  winds  from  the  far  off 

*  Harris. 


544  LAST    DAYS    OF    JACKSON. 

Hermitage:  "  This  book,  sir,  is  the  bulwark  of  our 
republican  institutions,  the  anchor  of  our  present  and 
future  safety"  It  is  said  his  Bible  was  ever  by  his 
side.  Like  the  pillar  of  the  cloud,  the  symbol  of  Je 
hovah's  covenant  with  Israel  in  the  wilderness,  it  was 
moved  when  he  moved,  it  rested  where  he  rested. 

As  the  light  of  the  Sabbath  broke  over  his  earthly 
habitation,  he  remarked,  "  This  day  is  the  holy  Sab 
bath  ordained  by  God,  and  set  apart  to  be  devoted  to 
his  worship  and  praise.  I  always  attended  service  at 
church  when  I  could,  but  now  I  can  go  no  more." 

He  charged  his  family  to  continue  the  instruction 
of  the  poor  at  the  Sabbath  school.  This  new  system 
of  instruction,  he  said,  which  blended  the  duties  of  re 
ligion  with  those  of  humanity,  he  considered  as  of 
vast  importance.  He  seemed  anxious  to  impress  the 
family  with  these  sentiments.  And  in  his  last  mo 
ments,  two  of  his  grandchildren  were  sent  for  from 
the  Sabbath  school  to  receive  his  blessing. 

Here  was  the  full-souled  and  intelligent  Christian. 
He  made  the  Bible  the  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  He 
made  the  Bible  the  foundation  of  the  liberties  of  his 
country.  Observance  of  the  holy  Sabbath  day, 
attendance  upon  the  services  of  the  sanctuary,  and 
the  religious  education  of  the  young,  were  all  incul 
cated  by  precept  and  practice.  These  are  the  senti 
ments,  my  countrymen,  that  I  would  have  you  treasure 
up  in  your  hearts,  and  exemplify  in  your  lives.  What 
a  testimony  have  we  from  the  lips  of  Andrew  Jack 
son,  to  the  truth  of  our  holy  religion.  He  ivas  great 
because  he  was  good  /* 

*  Lore. 


LETTER    FROM    COMMODORE   ELLIOTT.         545 

During  General  Jackson's  retirement,  a  motion  was 
made  in  Congress  to  approve  the  declaration  of  martial 
law  by  him,  while  in  command  of  the  army  at  New 
Orleans,  by  refunding  the  fine  with  interest.  During 
the  delay  occasioned  by  a  vigorous  opposition,  the 
state  of  Louisiana  passed  an  act  pledging  itself  to 
refund  it  in  the  event  of  the  failure  of  the  motion  in 
Congress.  But  it  did  not  fail.  That  which  had  been 
so  magnanimously  paid  by  him,  was  with  correspond 
ing  magnanimity  refunded  by  a  special  law  of  his 
country — and  he  was  often  heard  to  say,  that  he  ac 
cepted  it,  not  so  much  for  the  sake  of  the  amount,  as 
that  the  resolutions  of  Congress  entirely  annihilating 
every  vestige  of  imputation  upon  his  conduct  at  New 
Orleans,  might  be  fulfilled  to  all  intents  and  purposes* 

Less  than  three  months  before  his  death,  Andrew 
Jackson  received  a  letter  from  Commodore  Jesse  D. 
Elliott,  with  the  offer  of  a  sarcophagus,  which  had 
been  obtained  in  Palestine,  brought  to  the  United  States 
in  the  frigate  Constitution,  and  was  believed  to  have 
contained  the  remains  of  the  Roman  emperor,  Alex 
ander  Severus.  The  commodore's  letter  concluded  in 
these  words :  "  I  pray  you,  General,  to  live  on  in  the 
fear  of  the  Lord  ;  dying  the  death  of  a  Roman  soldier  ; 
an  emperor's  coffin  awaits  you." 

The  answer  of  Jackson  to  this  .letter  was  so  cha 
racteristic  of  the  man,  that  we  have  taken  the  liberty 
to  transcribe  it  entire. 


*  Harris. 
69  42* 


546  LAST    DAYS    OF   JACKSON. 

Hermitage,  March  27th,  1845. 

DEAR  SIR: — Your  letter  of  the  18th  instant,  toge 
ther  with  the  copy  of  the  proceedings  of  the  National 
Institute,  furnished  me  by  their  corresponding  secre 
tary,  on  the  presentation,  by  you,  of  the  sarcophagus 
for  their  acceptance  on  condition  it  shall  be  preserved 
in  honour  of  my  memory,  have  been  received,  and  are 
now  before  me. 

Although  labouring  under  great  debility  and  afflic 
tion,  from  a  severe  attack  from  which  I  may  not 
recover,  I  raise  my  pen  and  endeavour  to  reply.  The 
steadiness  of  my  nerves  may  perhaps  lead  you  to  con 
clude  my  prostration  of  strength  is  not  so  great  as  is 
here  expressed.  Strange  as  it  may  appear,  my  nerves 
are  as  steady  as  they  were  forty  years  gone  by  ;  whilst, 
from  debility  and  affliction,  I  am  gasping  for  breath. 

I  have  read  the  whole  proceedings  of  the  presen 
tation,  by  you,  of  the  sarcophagus,  and  the  resolutions 
passed  by  the  board  of  directors,  so  honourable  to  my 
fame,  with  sensations  and  feelings  more  easily  to  be 
conjectured  than  by  me  expressed.  The  wliole  pro 
ceedings  call  for  my  most  grateful  thanks,  which  are 
hereby  tendered  to  you,  and  through  you  to  the  presi 
dent  and  directors  of  the  National  Institute.  But  with 
the  warmest  sensations  that  can  inspire  a  grateful 
heart,  I  must  decline  accepting  the  honour  intended  to 
be  bestowed.  I  cannot  consent  that  my  mortal  body 
shall  be  laid  in  a  repository  prepared  for  an  emperor 
or  king.  My  republican  feelings  and  principles  forbid 
it;  the  simplicity  of  our  system  of  government  forbids 
it.  Every  monument  erected  to  perpetuate  the  mem 
ory  of  our  heroes  and  statesmen  ought  to  bear  evidence 


REPLY    TO    COMMODORE    ELLIOTT.  547 

of  the  economy  and  simplicity  of  our  republican  insti 
tutions,  and  the  plainness  of  our  republican  citizens, 
who  are  the  sovereigns  of  our  glorious  Union,  and 
whose  virtue  it  is  to  perpetuate  it.  True  virtue  can 
not  exist  where  pomp  and  parade  are  the  governing 
passions ;  it  can  only  dwell  with  the  people — the  great 
labouring  and  producing  classes  that  form  the  bone 
and  sinew  of  our  confederacy. 

For  these  reasons  I  cannot  accept  the  honour  you 
and  the  president  and  directors  of  the  National  Insti 
tute  intended  to  bestow.  I  cannot  permit  my  remains 
to  be  the  first  in  these  United  States  to  be  deposited 
in  a  sarcophagus  made  for  an  emperor  or  king.  I 
again  repeat,  please  accept  for  yourself,  and  convey 
to  the  president  and  directors  of  the  National  Institute, 
my  most  profound  respects  for  the  honour  you  and  they 
intended  to  bestow.  I  have  prepared  an  humble  depo 
sitory  for  my  mortal  body  beside  that  wherein  lies  my 
beloved  wife,  where,  without  any  pomp  or  parade,  I 
have  requested,  when  my  God  calls  me  to  sleep  with 
my  fathers,  to  be  laid ;  for  both  of  us  there  to  remain 
until  the  last  trump  sounds  to  call  the  dead  to  judg 
ment,  when  we,  I  hope,  shall  rise  together,  clothed 
with  that  heavenly  body  promised  to  all  who  believe 
in  our  glorious  Redeemer,  who  died  for  us  that  we 
might  live,  and  by  whose  atonement  I  hope  for  a 
blessed  immortality. 

I  am,  with  great  respect, 

Your  friend  and  fellow-citizen, 

ANDREW  JACKSON. 
To  COM.  J.  D.  ELLIOTT,  United  States  Navy. 


548  LAST  DAYS    OF    JACKSON. 

This  was  the  answer  of  Christian  meekness,  of  re 
publican  simplicity,  of  American  patriotism.  Such 
an  answer  as  might  have  been  expected  by  one  who 
knew  the  character  of  Jackson. 

The  last  will  and  testament  of  Andrew  Jackson, 
made  on  the  7th  of  June,  1843,  will  be  found  to  illus 
trate,  in  a  remarkable  manner,  his  purity,  patriotism, 
affection  and  chivalry ;  and  as  it  is  a  matter  of  record 
in  the  county  court  of  Davidson  county,  Tennessee, 
there  can  be  no  impropriety  in  referring  to  it  here. 
The  will  is  written  in  his  own  plain  and  steady  hand, 
and  the  exact  language  of  the  instrument  is  preserved 
in  the  extracts  which  we  make  from  it. 

"  I  bequeath,"  it  says,  "  my  body  to  the  dust,  whence 
it  comes,  and  my  soul  to  God,  who  gave  it,  hoping  for 
a  happy  immortality  through  the  atoning  merits  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  My 
desire  is,  that  my  body  be  buried  by  the  side  of  my 
dear  departed  wife,  in  the  garden  at  the  Hermitage, 
in  the  vault  prepared  in  the  garden,  and  all  expenses 
paid  by  my  executor  hereafter  named." 

After  bestowing  his  entire  estate  upon  his  adopted 
son,  Andrew  Jackson,  junior,  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  presents  thereinafter  to  be  named,  he  proceeds : 

"  I  bequeath  to  my  beloved  nephew,  Andrew  J. 
Donelson,  son  of  Samuel  Donelson,  deceased,  the 
elegant  sword  presented  to  me  by  the  State  of  Ten 
nessee,  with  this  injunction,  that  he  fail  not  to  use  it 
when  necessary  in  support  and  protection  of  our 
glorious  Union,  and  for  the  protection  of  the  consti 
tutional  rights  of  our  beloved  country,  should  they  be 
assailed  by  foreign  enemies  or  domestic  traitors. 


LAST   WILL.  549 

This,  from  the  great  change  in  my  worldly  affairs  of 
late,  is,  with  my  blessing,  all  I  can  bequeath  him, 
doing  justice  to  those  creditors  to  whom  I  am  respon 
sible.  This  bequest  is  made  as  a  memento  of  my 
high  regard,  affection,  and  esteem  I  bear  for  him,  as 
a  high-minded,  honest,  and  honorable  man. 

"  To  my  grandnephew,  Andrew  Jackson  Coffee,  I 
bequeath  the  elegant  sword  presented  to  me  by  the 
Rifle  Company  of  New  Orleans,  commanded  by  Cap 
tain  Beal,  as  a  memento  of  my  regard,  and  to  bring 
to  his  recollection  the  gallant  services  of  his  deceased 
father,  General  John  Coffee,  in  the  late  Indian  and 
British  war,  under  my  command,  and  his  gallant  con 
duct  in  defence  of  New  Orleans  in  1814  and  1815 ; 
with  this  injunction,  that  he  wield  it  in  the  protection 
of  the  rights  secured  to  the  American  citizen  under 
our  glorious  constitution,  against  all  invaders,  whether 
foreign  foes  or  intestine  traitors. 

"I  bequeath  to  my  beloved  grandson,  Andrew 
Jackson,  son  of  Andrew  Jackson,  junior,  and  Sarah 
his  wife,  the  sword  presented  me  by  the  citizens  of 
Philadelphia,  with  this  injunction,  that  he  will  always 
use  it  in  defence  of  the  constitution  and  our  glorious 
wisdom,  and  the  perpetuation  of  our  republican  system ; 
remembering  the  motto — '  Draw  me  not  without  oc- 

o 

casion  nor  sheath  me  without  honour.' 

"The  pistols  of  General  Lafayette,  which  were 
presented  by  him  to  General  George  Washington,  and 
by  Colonel  William  Robertson  presented  to  me,  I 
bequeath  to  George  Washington  Lafayette,  as  a 
memento  of  the  illustrious  personages  through  whose 


550  LAST    DAYS    OF    JACKSON. 

hands  they  have  passed — his  father,  and  the  father  of 
his  country. 

"  The  gold  box  presented  to  me  by  the  corporation 
of  the  City  of  New  York,  the  large  silver  vase  pre 
sented  to  me  by  the  ladies  of  Charleston,  South  Caro 
lina,  my  native  state,  with  the  large  picture  represent 
ing  the  unfurling  of  the  American  banner,  presented 
to  me  by  the  citizens  of  South  Carolina  when  it  was 
refused  to  be  accepted  by  the  United  States  Senate,  I 
leave  in  trust  to  my  son  A.  Jackson,  junior,  with  direc 
tions  that  should  our  happy  country  not  be  blessed 
with  peace,  an  event  not  always  to  be  expected,  he  will 
at  the  close  of  the  war  or  end  of  the  conflict,  present 
each  of  said  articles  of  inestimable  value,  to  that 
patriot  residing  in  the  city  or  state  from  which  they 
were  presented,  who  shall  be  adjudged  by  his  country 
men  or  the  ladies,  to  have  been  the  most  valiant  in 
defence  of  his  country  and  our  country's  rights. 

"  The  pocket  spy-glass  which  was  used  by  General 
Washington  during  the  revolutionary  war,  and  pre 
sented  to  me  by  Mr.  Custis,  having  been  burned  with 
my  dwelling-house,  the  Hermitage,  with  many  other 
invaluable  relics,  I  can  make  no  disposition  of  them. 

"  As  a  memento  of  my  high  regard  for  General  Ro 
bert  Armstrong  as  a  gentleman,  patriot,  and  soldier, 
as  well  as  for  his  meritorious  military  services  under 
my  command  during  the  late  British  and  Indian  war, 
and  remembering  the  gallant  bearing  of  him  and  his 
gallant  little  band  at  Enotochopco  Creek,  when,  falling 
desperately  wounded,  he  called  out — "  My  brave  fel 
lows,  some  may  fall,  but  save  the  cannon" — as  a 
memento  of  all  these  things,  I  give  and  bequeath  to 


LAST    WILL.  551 

him  my  case  of  pistols  and  sword  worn  by  me 
throughout  my  military  career,  well  satisfied  that  in 
his  hands  they  will  never  be  disgraced — that  they  will 
never  be  used  or  drawn  without  occasion,  nor  sheathed 
but  with  honour." 

How  beautiful  the  injunctions  which  accompany 
the  bequests  of  the  dying  patriot !  He  had  preserved 
his  own  sword  pure  and  insullied ;  he  had  guarded  the 
stainless  emblems  of  a  nation's  gratitude  as  a  price 
less  treasure ;  and  when  he  was  approached  by  the 
great  earthly  conqueror  of  all  mankind,  he  gracefully 
surrendered  them  into  chosen  hands,  with  a  prayer 
and  command  that  they  should  never  be  dishonoured. 

Nor  was  he  thoughtless  of  her  who  had  watched 
his  bedside  for  years.  In  recognising  and  confirming 
a  marriage  gift  to  the  wife  of  his  adopted  son,  he 
said,  "  This  gift  and  bequest  is  made  as  a  token  of  my 
great  affection  for  her,  a  memento  of  her  uniform  at 
tention  to  me,  and  kindness  on  all  occasions.  When 
worn  down  with  sickness,  pain,  and  debility,  she  has 
been  more  than  a  daughter  to  me,  and  I  hope  that 
she  will  never  be  disturbed  by  any  one  in  the  enjoy 
ment  of  this  gift  and  bequest."* 

But  let  us  hasten  on  to  the  closing  scene — the  last 
hour  of  this  great  man.  That  courage  which  battle 
could  not  intimidate — that  fortitude  which  civil  com 
motions  could  not  shake,  have  now  to  be  tried  in 
another  scene.  That  frame,  that  not  fatigue,  nor  ex 
posure,  nor  hunger  could  bend,  worn  by  age  and 
disease,  is  now  bending  over  the  grave.  Time  has 

*  Harris. 


552  LAST    DAYS    OF    JACKSON. 

wrought  its  ends,  and  he  is  ripe  for  immortality.  Be 
hold  the  man,  who  has  served  his  country,  and  served 
his  God.  He  has  no  fears,  no  misgivings ;  calmly 
he  looks  back  on  a  well-spent  life,  joyfully  reaches 
forward  with  hope,  to  a  blissful  immortality. 

When  asked  by  a  friend,  "  what  course  would  he 
pursue,  were  he  permitted  to  live  his  life  over  again" — 
with  a  majestic  tone  of  voice,  says  that  friend,  he 
calmly  but  emphatically  replied,  "  Sir,  I  would  not 
accept  the  boon  if  it  were  offered  to  me"  His  whole 
countenance,  continues  that  friend,  became  suddenly 
illuminated ;  his  keen,  piercing  eye,  fixed  on  vacancy, 
appeared  to  be  contemplating  the  beautiful  scenes  of 
a  distant  world,  as  they  gradually  developed  them 
selves  to  his  view.  Delightful  thought!  Beholding 
with  the  eye  of  faith  the  beautiful  fields,  the  radiant 
beings,  and  the  never  clouded  sun  of  that  spiritual 
world  to  which  he  is  hastening,  he  would  not  ex 
change  the  prospect  and  the  hope  of  its  enjoyment, 
for  another  glorious  life  like  his  on  earth.  Heaven 
grant  that  in  the  dying  hour  our  faith  may  be  like 
his! 

It  is  a  beautiful  summer  Sabbath  morning !  the  8th 
of  June,  1845.  Silence  reigns  all  around,  while  anx 
ious  countenances  behold  the  death-stricken  face  of 
the  dying  sage.  He  faints,  and  is  supposed  to  be  dead, 
but  revives ;  and,  propped  up  in  his  arm  chair,  with 
his  family  all  around  him,  he  said,  "  My  dear  children, 
do  not  grieve  for  me ;  it  is  true  I  am  going  to  leave 
you ;  I  am  well  aware  of  my  situation ;  I  have  suffered 
much  bodily  pain ;  but  my  sufferings  are  as  nothing, 
compared  with  that  which  our  blessed  Saviour  endured 


JACKSON'S    DEATH-BED.  553 

upon  that  accursed  cross,  that  they  might  all  be  saved 
who  put  their  trust  in  him."  He  then  took  them  by 
the  hand,  one  by  one,  and  saying  some  words  of  ten 
derness  to  each,  bade  them  farewell.  The  little  chil 
dren  he  had  brought  to  him,  his  grandchildren,  and  the 
children  of  his  wife's  sister ;  those  who  were  absent  at 
Sabbath  school,  were  sent  for.  He  then  kissed  them, 
and  blessed  them  in  a  manner  so  touchingly  im 
pressive,  that  language  cannot  describe  it.  Seeing  his 
servants  anxiously  pressing  about  the  doors  and  win 
dows  of  his  chamber,  that  they  might  behold  for  the 
last  time  his  living  countenance,  he  took  leave  of  them 
also.  He  then  spoke  for  half  an  hour,  and  apparently 
with  the  power  of  inspiration  ;  for  he  spoke  with  calm 
ness,  with  strength,  and  with  animation.  His  implicit 
belief  in  the  Christian  religion,  and  in  the  plan  of  sal 
vation  as  revealed  in  the  Bible — his  great  anxiety  that 
they  should  believe  in  religion,  as  taught  by  the  Holy 
Scriptures ;  and  that,  in  so  doing,  they  might  insure 
their  eternal  salvation,  and  join  him  in  Heaven — made 
the  words  that  fell  from  his  lips  deeply  impressive, 
awfully  sublime.  In  conclusion,  he  said,  "  My  children, 
and  friends,  and  servants,  I  hope  and  trust  to  meet 
you  all  in  Heaven,  both  white  and  black."  Looking 
with  tender  solicitude  upon  his  servants,  he  repeated, 
" both  white  and  black"  These  were  his  last  words ; 
with  them  he  ceased  to  speak.  The  body  calmly 
sunk  into  the  arms  of  death,  while  the  immortal  spirit, 
clothed  in  celestial  garments,  rose  triumphant  over 
death  and  the  grave,  and  ascended,  amid  a  choir  of 
shouting  angels,  into  the  Paradise  above.  Ministers 
70  43 


554  LAST    DAYS    OF    JACKSON. 

may  preach,  divines  may  write,  but  ttie  dying  example 
of  such  a  man  is  worth  more  than  all.* 

Thus  lived,  thus  died  Andrew  Jackson ;  great  in 
war,  great  in  peace,  triumphant  in  death.  "  Socrates 
died  like  a  philosopher ;"  but  it  was  the  happier  lot  of 
Jackson  to  die  like  a  Christian.  Fit  consummation 
to  a  life  like  his.  Devoted  for  nearly  eighty  years  to 
the  cause  of  the  republic,  his  dying  breath  bears  wit 
ness  to  the  truth  of  that  religion  on  w7hich  alone  the 
republic  can  safely  found  its  institutions.  His  life  is 
its  own  best  monument — his  own  best  eulogy.  It 
sprang  from  the  dark  valley  of  obscurity,  like  the 
peaks  of  his  favourite  Alleghanies  from  the  valleys  of 
the  west,  into  the  sight  and  the  admiration  of  a  world ; 
rough,  rugged,  and  sublime,  piercing  through  every 
cloud,  it  towered  aloft  till  its  summit  was  bathed  in 
the  light  of  Heaven.t 

The  news  of  the  death  of  Andrew  Jackson  spread 
a  pall  over  the  whole  nation.  Throughout  all  our 
vast  country  was  heard  the  voice  of  mourning — a 
nation  grieving  for  a  loved  and  honoured  son.  The 
people  in  all  its  cities,  towns,  villages,  and  hamlets, 
spontaneously  gathered  together  to  do  honour  to  the 
memory  of  the  departed  hero  and  patriot.  Men  of 
all  parties,  and  of  all  grades,  pursuits,  and  occupations, 
united  on  that  solemn  occasion.  All  were  sensible 
that  the  shaft  of  death  had  reached  an  illustrious 
mark,  and  had  removed  from  the  connexions  of  this 
earth  one,  who,  for  a  long  series  of  years,  had  been 
intimately  associated  in  their  minds  with  some  of  the 

*  Garland.  fBolles. 


JACKSON'S   EXAMPLE.  555 

most  brilliant  eras  in  the  annals  of  the  country,  and 
one  who  had  long  been  regarded  by  a  large  pro 
portion  of  the  people  with  the  highest  degree  of  vene 
ration  and  esteem.  A  united  people  attended  as 
mourners  at  his  funeral.  They  consigned  his  mortal 
remains  to  the  tomb  of  his  own  choice,  beneath  the 
green  soil  of  the  land  he  loved  so  well,  and  by  the 
side  of  the  beloved  partner  of  his  domestic  joys  and 
sorrows,  who  had  preceded  him  in  death.  There 
they  will  rest  in  honoured  repose,  until  the  archangel's 
trump  shall  sound  the  summons  to  an  everlasting 
resurrection.  But  the  memory  of  his  illustrious  deeds 
will  live — they  will  be  familiar  to  the  ears  of  unborn 
millions;  and  in  future  ages,  his  example  and  his 
counsels  will  continue  to  exert  a  beneficial  influence 
over  the  destinies  of  his  beloved  country.* 

To  the  youth  of  our  country,  the  example  of 
Jackson  is  invaluable.  His  life  containing  and  illus 
trating  a  moral  lesson,  imposing  as  it  is  grand,  is  a 
volume  written  in  letters  of  gold,  and  establishes  a 
precedent  for  imitation,  that  is  beyond  price.  It 
points  to  the  great  highway  of  fame  and  distinction — 
it  tells  him  that  the  man  who  honestly  serves  his 
country,  in  whatever  position  it  may  be  his  fortune  to 
be  cast,  will  as  surely  bring  down  upon  him  the  grati 
tude  of  that  country,  as  the  fulfilment  of  prophecy. 
In  this  land  of  equal  rights,  the  humblest  youth,  with 
honesty,  talents,  and  perseverance  to  recommend  him, 
enjoys  the  same  opportunities  with  the  high  born  and 
the  wealthy,  for  political  honours.  The  first  blow  at 

*  Smith. 


556  LAST    DAYS    OF    JACKSON. 

Lexington,  in  the   revolutionary  struggle,  not   only 
knocked  to  atoms  the  bonds  and  fetters   of  Great 
Britain,  but  also  all  the  orders  and  titles  of  nobility — 
leveled  the  political  condition  of  the  American  colo 
nies  to  a  common  standard,  and  made  merit,  in  the 
place  of  hereditary  fortune,  the  republican  test.     Who 
would  have  even  conjectured,  at  that  early  day,  that 
a  young  man  of  the  tender  age  of  fourteen  years,  a 
captive  in  the  British  camp,  but  who  had  the  courage 
and  bravery,  unarmed,  to  face  the  same  weapon  which 
had   already  drunk   the   blood   of  an   only   brother, 
rather  than  stoop  to  the  menial  service  of  becoming 
the  boot-black  of  an  English  officer — would  be  at  the 
head  of  the  grandest  government  on  the  face  of  the 
earth  ?     An  orphan  child,  unprotected,  without  friends, 
without  influence.     It  is  this  trait  in  the  features  of  a 
popular  government,  that  truly  makes  it  the  grandest 
in  the  world.     In  following  the  course  of  that  young 
man,  we  have  seen  him,  when  the  war  was  over,  pur 
suing  the  profession  of  law — representing  his  state  in 
the  nation's  councils — upon  the  bench — again,  at  the 
head  of  the  American  troops,  pushing  on  to  glorious 
victory — and  finally,  the  chief  executive  officer  of  the 
United  States  of  America.     What  a  theme  for  con 
templation — what  a  subject  for   thought !  [JLet   the 
young  man  who  is  ambitious  for  durable  fame,  read 
and  reflect  upon  the  noble  example  which  he  will  find 
in  the  life  of  Andrew  Jackson.  *  Let  him  believe  that 
the  gigantic  obstacles  that  lie  between  him  and  the 
summit  of  his  hopes  and  anticipations,  will  vanish  like 
snowflakes  beneath  the  rays  of  the  sun,  by  labour, 
temperance,  perseverance,  and  virtue. 


JACKSON'S    EXAMPLE.  557 

There  is  no  ordinary  obstacle  that  can  thwart  or 
defeat  a  well  directed  and  prudent  ambition — mo 
mentary  it  may  be,  but  the  courage  and  determination 
of  the  human  heart  are  not  easily  foiled ;  and  when  a 
point  is  fixed  in  the  distance,  it  is  almost  invariably 
attained.  The  life  of  Andrew  Jackson  is  full  proof 
of  this  position,  and  the  experience  of  every  day  life 
confirms  it.  J\ 

The  American  presidents  were  all  "self  made 
men" — by  perseverance  they  were  elevated  to  a  point 
of  political  prominence,  which  is  above  and  beyond 
all  others.  Let  the  proud  motto  of  our  flag  be  en 
graved  upon  the  heart  of  American  youth :  "  Virtue, 
Liberty,  and  Independence,"  and  the  perpetuity  of 
that  government  which  our  ancestors  regarded  as  an 
"  experiment,"  will  be  certain.  And  the  illustrious  hero 
of  New  Orleans,  by  his  acts  arid  deeds — by  his  habits  / 
and  conduct,  has  been  among  the  foremost  of  those 
who  have  given  a  character  and  tone  to  our  country, 
that  have  placed  her  high  upon  the  great  scroll  of 
nations.  Let  those  who  could  share  his  honours  im 
itate  his  example.* 

Though  it  was  no  holiday  affair,  says  Mr.  Wood- 
bury,  who  knew  Jackson  well,  to  fill  office  as  he  filled 
it,  whether  looking  to  himself  or  those  around  him — 
though  requiring,  as  well  as  practising,  all  the  watch 
fulness  of  an  Indian  ambuscade,  all  the  vigour,  at 
times,  of  a  forced  march  to  surprise  an  enemy,  all  the 
zeal  of  a  missionary  of  the  Cross,  yet  his  active 
temperament  or  military  training,  apparently  so  in- 


*  Wright. 
43* 


558  LAST    DAYS    OF    JACKSON. 

convenient  to  others,  was  mixed  up  with  a  courtesy 
of  manner  and  kindly  consideration  of  what  was  due 
to  real  infirmity;  so  that  in  nothing  was  he  more 
striking  than  in  all  the  feelings  of  a  gentleman.  He 
had  been  formed  in  that  Revolutionary  school  of 
politics  which  added  the  politeness  of  the  French  to 
the  solidity  of  the  English,  or  the  manner  of  the  La 
Fayettes  and  Rochambeaus  to  the  strength  arid  in 
telligence  of  the  Burgoynes  and  Cornwallises.  He 
exacted  nothing  which  he  did  not  reciprocate;  he 
respected  in  others  all  that  he  asked  for  himself;  and 
every  candid  observer  soon  felt  that,  however  severe 
his  course  may  at  times  have  seemed  at  first,  yet,  in 
the  end,  he  carried  out  only  that  Chesterfieldian  as 
well  as  Christian  injunction,  to  do  to  others  as  you 
would  be  done  by. 

Such  was  his  ease  in  general  society,  and  so  deli 
cate  his  attentions  to  female  excellence,  that  many,  who 
never  met  him  elsewhere,  concluded  at  once  he  was 
more  of  a  courtier,  or  man  of  the  world,  than  suited 
for  the  conflicts  of  camps,  and  parties,  and  affairs  of 
state.  But  nothing  was  farther  from  truth.  The 
moment  over,  that  had  been  demanded  by  social 
usages  or  the  forms  of  fashion,  his  whole  soul  was  in 
his  business;  and  nothing  personal  or  amusing  could 
ever  tempt  him  into  the  slightest  neglect  or  abandon 
ment  of  public  duty.  Never  was  he  bigoted  or  ex 
clusive  in  anything.  He  was  public-spirited  in  all; 
nor  did  any  Vandal  spirit,  however  imputed,  ever 
mark  his  opinions  or  deeds,  even  in  the  fiercest 
ravages  of  war  or  the  bitterest  excitement  of  politics ; 
and  however  the  great  exigencies  of  public  life  may 


JACKSON'S   EXAMPLE  559 

have  forced  him  at  times  into  action  and  responsibility 
when  others  doubted  or  halted,  all  his  risks  were  for 
his  country ;  all  the  dangers  braved  were  intended  to 
protect  the*  people  and  the  public  safety. 

That  he  should  have  been  infallible  in  all  this,  none 
pretend;  but  that  he  meant  well,  and,  in  the  main,  did 
well,  and  as  a  whole  performed  noble  service  to  his 
country,  none  can  deny.  If  to  err  is  human,  then,  if 
the  light  of  the  sun  itself  be  not  without  some  shades 
intermingled — can  we,  taking  him  all  in  all,  be  other 
wise  than  proud  of  his  rank  as  a  man,  a  soldier  and 
a  statesman?  Whether  on  the  Thames  or  the 
Ganges — under  the  tent  of  the  Arab  or  in  marble 
palaces,  it  is  a  distinction  to  be  known  as  one  of  his 
countrymen.  Compared  with  the  renowned  of  other 
ages  and  other  continents,  all  America  may  justly 
boast  of  him  as  a  production  creditable  to  the  New 
World.  Humanity  itself  becomes  dignified,  when 
man  lives  up  to  the  height  of  his  powers  and  his 
destiny.  Though  some  have  regarded  him  as  only  a 
meteor  in  our  horizon,  yet  so  far  from  that,  he  will 
live  as  a  fixed  star  in  history — one  of  the  master 
minds  of  the  age,  carefully  formed  and  practical  in 
his  efforts,  and  worthy  the  pages  of  future  Plutarchs 
for  many  generations  to  come.  The  justice  of  this 
conclusion  will  strike  us  more  forcibly,  if  we  notice 
the  contrast  between  his  course  and  that  of  many  in 
scribed  high  on  the  rolls  of  past  ages ;  his  whole  life 
devoted  to  defend  the  liberties  of  his  country,  rather 
than  like  others  to  break  them  down ;  the  passion  of 
his  heart  to  uphold  rather  than  to  overturn  its  consti 
tution  and  laws ;  friends  and  power  risked  to  preserve 


560 


LAST    DAYS    OF    JACKSON. 


unimpaired  the  sacred  ties  of  its  union,  the  sceptre  of 
state  relinquished,  and,  like  the  humblest  citizen,  re 
tiring  to  his  farm,  instead  of  striving,  like  many,  to 
usurp  authority,  or  prolong  the  pomp  and  pageantry 
of  office.  In  fine,  he  neither  enriched  himself  by  plun 
der  or  peculation,  nor  engrossed  office  for  his  family, 
nor  waged  a  moment's  war  for  ambition  or  conquest ; 
nor  exercised  a  single  new  power,  nor  betrayed  an  old 
one,  nor  filled  station  an  hour  but  from  the  will  of 
the  people,  or  in  conformity  to  the  charter  of  their 
liberties. 


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